Greetings from the Co-Chairmen of
the Hinzpeter Awards Organizing Committee

• 
  

  • Sun-seok Won
  • Co-Chairman of the HAOC
    (Chairperson of the May 18 Foundation)

  Greetings.
  I am Soon-Suk Won, Co-chairperson of the Hinzpeter Awards Organizing Committee.
  
  The Hinzpeter Award has been launched in 2021 to honor and commemorate the journalists including Jurgen Hinzpeter, who documented and reported the May 18 Democratic Uprising to the world in 1980.
  
  Even at this moment, there are others video journalists like Hinzpeter around the world who are risking their lives to report on war, state violence, human rights and media oppression.
  
  We salute them for their courage and the changes that their passion for journalism achieved by striving.
  
  Falsehoods and distortions spread recklessly through new media divide and bring confusion to people around the world. Truths that deserve to be known are either blocked or deliberately excluded.
  
  We believe in the power of journalists, who have true journalism and reveal the truth beyond lies.
  
  To move toward a better future, the Hinzpeter Awards stands in solidarity with all those who are committed to truth and justice.
  
  We look forward to meeting with witnesses of truth around the world and hope for their safety.
  
  Thank you.
  Soon-Suk Won
  Chairperson, The May 18 Foundation

• 
  

  • Jun-young Rha
  • Co-Chairman of the HAOC
    28th President of the Korea Video Journalist Association

  We are now embarking on a new journey to find another Hinzpeter living in 2024. Over the past three years, the Hinzpeter awards have highlighted the courageous endeavors of video journalists and media professionals who strive to properly capture and document significant events, thereby bringing them the world’s attention. These events include the great resistance towards democracy by citizens in Belarus, Myanmar, Sudan, and Russia, as well as the struggles for peace and human rights in locations such as Ukraine, the Central African Republic, and the Darien Gap in Panama. These brave journalists have also documented historical tragedies, including the 1980 Gwangju uprising, the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, and the ongoing situation in Palestine.
  
  We have also created various events and methods to shed the light on the struggles and concerns, as well as the voices and messages of the people living in the same era, which frontline video journalists and reporters have worked hard to make known.
  
  In a world transformed by the IT revolution, where anyone can create videos, their efforts have become even more crucial. Amidst the wave of fake news and AI-generated images, video journalists on the ground still step into the frontlines of news events, recording them firsthand and ensuring that diverse voices are properly conveyed. Despite the global threats to press freedom posed by extreme political polarization, their videos, which capture truth and human experiences, still possess a formidable ability to overcome fake news and political manipulation. We have witnessed it through the past years of the Hinzpeter Awards, through the courageous testimonies of it winners.
  
  The essence of journalism is to deliver accurate information and diverse perspectives, facillitating smoother communication between people. In doing so, journalists contribute to a healthier public opinion, which can eventually lead to positive change and development in our world.
  
  The organizing committee of the 4th Hinzpeter Awards is dedicated to ensuring that the journey of seeking out the international submissions and winners becomes a platform which embodies the essence and values of journalism. We aim to address the crises facing democracy, human rights, peace, and press freedom, by showcasing and disseminating the work of video journalists and reporters who cover these issues.
  
  To ensure the Hinzpeter Awards properly achieve these important goals, we kindly request the active participation and submissions from video journalists worldwide, as well as the interest and support from citizens everywhere. Thank you!