Five Bulgarian journalists tour prison cells and execution grounds tied to Korea's independence movement
Delegation draws parallels with their own country's painful history, reflecting on the importance of preserving memory
Bulgarian journalists visiting Seodaemun Prison History Hall came face to face with Korea's independence movement history — and found it stirring memories of their own country's painful past.
Seodaemun-gu said a five-member Bulgarian journalist delegation, invited to Korea by the Korea Journalists Association, visited the district Monday, touring Seodaemun Prison History Hall and meeting with District Mayor Park Woon-ki.
The visit was arranged as part of the "2026 Korea-Bulgaria Journalist Exchange Program," held under a mutual exchange MOU the Korea Journalists Association and the Bulgarian Journalists' Union signed in 2015.
Accompanied by a guide, the delegation toured the prison cells, memorial monuments and execution grounds, reporting on the sites where independence activists were imprisoned and suffered during Japan's colonial rule of Korea.
One Bulgarian journalist said their country also has detention facilities that carry painful histories, adding that the tour of Seodaemun Prison brought Bulgaria's own history to mind. The delegation expressed a sense of shared understanding, noting that while the historical contexts differ, both countries share the task of remembering a painful past and passing it on to future generations.
An earlier tea gathering at the district mayor's office was attended by five journalists from major Bulgarian media outlets, including Maria Georgieva Liubenova, along with officials from the Korea Journalists Association. The group watched a promotional video about Seodaemun-gu and exchanged views on media and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
"Understanding each other's history and culture through the eyes of journalists is itself a meaningful form of exchange," District Mayor Park Woon-ki said. "I hope this visit helps introduce Seodaemun to Bulgaria and brings our two countries closer together."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
