It is another winter. I prepared for the future as the position of Editor-in-Chief of The Hyowon Herald for one year until the winter came back. We gathered last winter, expecting the revival of Pusan National University (PNU) Press.

We start from nothing. We organized every detail, including the website, social media, and internal regulations. I felt somewhat difficult at that time. The goal of “integration” that we first tried was visible but far away. There were some conflicts in the chaotic beginning. We could not see each other when COVID-19 prevailed. Reporters who have never cooperated before also needed time to get used to being “together.” Of course, I longed for our “success,” but on the other hand, I had fears of collapsing expectations.

Nevertheless, “Channel PNU” is walking on the right path now. A lot of effort paid off with the reporters who spent most of their time on “Channel PNU.” We felt so reliable thanks to the people who supported our reporters, including the Faculty Advisor who is dedicated to our development, the Faculty Administrator recruited for the professional publication, and the Press Officer who handled the whole administrative work of the PNU press.

Our struggle is tangible. We had 20 followers at the beginning of the Instagram opening, who were all actually our own reporters. Currently, the official Instagram of “Channel PNU” is about to reach 800 followers. We cannot even try to operate the community of the YouTube channel because the number of subscribers was short of the standard. Now, the situation has changed. The wished-for moment that of approaching near our target number of readers has come. Furthermore, there is a university press that prepares for integration using us as a model. Moreover, we led the “Council of National Public University Press” for one year as a leader, from September 1st (Reported by “Channel PNU” on August 31st).

I am sure that “Channel PNU” achieved more than expected. However, for making higher quality outcomes, there are still lots of lacking conditions. In a GV (Guest Visit) at the Busan Indie Film Festival held in the middle of November, a movie director said, “I love producing movies in Busan and have pride in it, but I feel the limitations of realistic problems such as budget or infrastructure.” I empathized with his worry because this overlaps the situations of our press. In particular, the Channel PNU Studio is still in poor condition. The studio is too old to make our videos, but ideas are constantly coming up.

”Channel PNU” is facing an enormous task, the rise of recognition in PNU as “Channel PNU,” which publishes and broadcasts the PNU Newspaper, The Hyowon Herald, and PUBS. It is clear that we are necessary as an independent student organization. We are ready to hear the voices of students to become a press where people find us first and wait for us. We will maintain the role of the media, and the lights of Moonchang Hall will never go out.

I have just two months left before the end of my term of office. It was not easy working as a “university press” reporter in “provinces” for the entire two years, from February 2021. However, if someone asks me if I regret it, I will answer “NO” without any hesitation. The experience in The Hyowon Herald and “Channel PNU” was so precious due to my own growth and achievement with everyone. Although my journey is finished here, I have no doubt about the shiny future of “Channel PNU.”

By Lee Yeo-Jin, the Editor-in-Chief of The Hyowon Herald

Translated by Lee Yeo-Jin