Breakout Session - The Asian Public Sphere for Cooperation and Symbiosis What role should media play for Asia’s cooperation and symbiosis? Six competent journalists from Korea, China, Japan and the U.S., came together to discuss related issues including immigration and Korean Wave. Shin Kyung-min, a former anchor at MBC moderated the discussion. Bae Ki-hyung, a producer at KBS, insisted, “Media must observe immigrants in the perspectives of diversity and mutual existence rather than absorption or integration.” He added, “Korean media agencies often emphasize socially integrating immigrants. However, that attitude is quite arrogant. From editors to reporters, media groups must educate themselves first.” The discussion topic included cultural exchanges like Korean Wave and Japanese Wave. Bu Yan-fang, a management studies professor at Zhenmei University, said, “In the wake of internet development, it became easy for Asia to consume foreign countries’ culture. Such cultural exchanges should deepen the understanding for each other, which would accelerate East Asian integration. Kang Myung-koo, a journalism professor at Seoul National University, said, “Korean media has the tendency to only consider revenue generating aspect of cultural exchanges. They need to ponder over the meaning of broadcasting across borders.” Lee Bong-hyun, a research fellow at Hankyoreh Economic Research Institute, suggested, “Korea, China and Japan should deliberate on finding ways to establish a joint broadcasting station.”