SEOUL, Nov. 16 (MNA) � Thirty-ninth Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) Executive Board Meeting was officially opened on Monday morning in Seoul.The opening ceremony of the Technical and Executive Committee, hosted by South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, kicked off with Yonhap President and CEO Park Jung-chan making a speech at the opening.

Welcoming the representatives of member agencies, Jung-chan underlined the need for paying attention to the new media, especially social and smartphone-based media, which is the theme of this round of meeting.

OANA President and General Director of ITAR-TASS Sergey Mikhaylov also welcomed the members, and pointing to the recent terrorist events in Sinai, Beirut and Paris, noted the important role of the media in conveying the correct information and increasing public awareness about the global issue of terrorism.

Following the opening session, some Memorandums of Understanding were signed between South Korean Yonhap and the Malaysian National News Agency Bernama and also between the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

The session of the Technical and Executive Committee of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) will run for two days at the head office of Yonhap News Agency.

Mehr news agency and IRNA are Iran�s two representatives at the meeting.

The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) hosted the 38th Session of Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) Executive Board Meeting with the theme, "The Advent of Social Media and Challenges Confronting News Agencies" in February, 2015.

By Mehr News Agency