Citizen reporters from around the world who contribute to a local online newspaper will hold a forum in Seoul starting today to discuss the future potential of online journalism and citizen participatory journalism.
Organized by OhmyNews (www.ohmynews.com), the first International Citizen Reporters’ Forum will take place until Sunday at the Convention and Exhibition (COEX) Center in southern Seoul.
More than 100 citizen reporters from 25 countries contributing articles in English to OhmyNews International and about 180 Korean citizen reporters as well as volunteer translators will participate in the event.
Foreign citizen reporters are of various ages and races, including medical student Alex Krabbe from Germany; Omid Habibinia, an exiled Iranian journalist and media researcher living in Switzerland; Chia Hao Hsu, a former president of Student News at National Taiwan University; and Kim Hyang-chong, an overseas Korean in Japan who has passports for both South and North Korea.
Representatives of foreign citizen reporters will present their experiences in the forum along with Korean citizen reporters. The Korean participants include Kang In-kyu, Goh Tae-jin, Kim Hye-won and Lee Bong-ryul.
Key speakers include Ken Takeuchi, a president of JanJan, Japanese online participatory media; Shintaro Tabata, a head of news service at Japan’s major portal site Livedoor; Erik Möller, founder of Wikinews; and Clyde Bentley, associate professor of the Missouri School of Journalism who is currently experimenting with a participatory community media.
An IT tour covering Korea's hottest technology spots including visits to the leading Korean IT firms such as Samsung, Naver and SK Communication will be provided to participants as well.
OhmyNews, a pioneer of citizen participatory journalism in Korea now has more than 38,000 citizen reporters writing for the Korean and International editions including 600 international citizen reporters.
``It will be a chance to nurture participatory journalism in countries around the world and discuss matters of mutual concern to international Internet users,’’ said Oh Yeon-ho, CEO and Founder of OhmyNews, who will also give a lecture in the forum.
OhmyNews founder Oh Yeon Ho welcomed citizen reporters on Thursday.
 More than 300 "citizen reporters" hailing from countries as far apart as Chile and Norway are coming together at the OhmyNews International Citizen Reporters' Forum from June 23 to June 26, 2005 in Seoul.  is one of the most popular South Korean news websites, and it has played an important role in the election of reformist President Roh Moo-hyun. Unlike traditional news sources, OhmyNews allows any individual with an Internet connection to contribute stories. A professional staff of journalists vets incoming submissions and decides which stories are to be published.

The project is sponsoring the forum in order to promote its English edition, officially launched in May 2004. Citizen reporters writing in English exchange ideas and stories, and try to understand the inner workings of the Korean edition. The conference is sponsored by Korean corporations such as Samsung, SK Corporation, LG, Yuhan-Kimberly, and Asiana Airlines.

OhmyNews citizen reporters holding their national flags in a ceremony on Friday evening.