As we headed for home, my thoughts were drawn to the memorable stay in Seoul. It was like going back into time when I put up at the same Lotte Hotel which I had stayed for an assignment five years ago.
I had then covered former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's trip to Seoul where he pledged Malaysia's continued commitment for the 'Look East' policy.
But the trip this time was different. It was for the Organisation of Asia Pacific News Agencies (OANA) summit meeting organised by South Korea's Yonhap News Agency to commemorate its 30th anniversary.
In a way, it was historic as the 41-strong OANA decided to venture into multimedia -- getting its members to exchange video clips.
This is something new from the existing arrangement of text-based news and photo exchange that has been going on for years.
Just as cherry blossom starts to bloom all over Seoul, the colourful sight of early spring mirrored the pledge of the OANA members to expand cooperation into the multimedia platform.
In fact, the meeting took place at this time to coincide with spring which offered a breathtaking view of the city with colourful flowers along the streets.
