N.K. state media sends congratulatory message on 60th anniversary of OANA

SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean state media outlet sent a message congratulating the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) on its 60th anniversary, the organization said Monday.

According to the OANA Secretariat on Friday, Kim Pyong-ho, head of the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), stressed the important role of the organization in the region in a message sent to Yonhap News Agency, which currently chairs the organization.

"The foundation of OANA 60 years ago has allowed news agencies in the region to exchange news in diverse areas, including politics, economic and culture, and to work closely for the diversification of news-related activities," Kim said in the letter.

"We would like to extend our sincere congratulations to all member agencies on the 60th anniversary of the foundation of OANA," he added.

Kim highlighted the role of OANA in delivering the "voices of the region" to the world in an accurate and timely manner, saying that he highly values the organization's efforts.

OANA, which was formed in 1961 on the initiative of UNESCO to promote regional news exchanges, holds its general assembly every three years. A total of 43 news agencies from 35 Asia-Pacific countries are members of the organization.

Members include Yonhap, China's Xinhua News Agency, Japan's Kyodo News, the TASS Russian News Agency and North Korea's KCNA.

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