KLTV news anchor and reporter Lane Luckie has been selected to participate in the 2026 Korea-United States Journalists Exchange, a program of the East-West Center.

The 2026 Exchange marks the continued importance of the Korea-US relationship. With a focus on “Navigating the Evolving US-ROK Relationship: Trade, Investment, and Security Cooperation,” this 18th exchange in September will look at the current issues related to security cooperation, strategic trade and investment, and the economic security alignment between the US and the Republic of Korea, including the Korea-US alliance, the state of the US-Japan-ROK relations, bilateral trade and investment, and the continued threat from North Korea.

Six Korean journalists will travel to Washington DC and Honolulu, Hawaiʻi; and six US journalists will travel to Seoul, Busan, and the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. Following these study tours, all of the journalists will convene for a two-day final dialogue at the East-West Center in Honolulu, to report on their travel experiences and perspectives, and exchange opinions on how media coverage of US-Korea issues can be improved.

United States participants:

• Erica Hernandez, Senior Editor, CNN, Atlanta, Georgia
• Samuel Kesler, Producer, NPR, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Lane Luckie, News Anchor/Reporter, KLTV, Tyler, Texas
• Phillip Molnar, Senior Business Reporter, The San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego, California
• Rosie Perper, Cybersecurity Editor, POLITICO, New York, New York
• Cierra Putman, Investigative Reporter, WTHR, Indianapolis, Indiana

South Korea participants:

• Ji Hyang Yoo, Reporter, KBS, Seoul
• Eunkyung Choi, Reporter, The Chosun Daily, Seoul
• Jin Heo, Deputy Political Editor, JoongAng Ilbo, Seoul
• Hyein Jeong, Reporter, MBC, Seoul
• Jihoon Kim, Staff reporter, The Hankyoreh, Seoul
• Sooyoung Oh, Lead Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Arirang TV, Seoul

Launched by the East-West Center in 2005, the exchange is co-sponsored by the East-West Center, Korea Press Foundation, and Pacific Century Institute to increase public understanding of the two countries and their relationship.

A total of 209 journalists, including North Korean defector media, have participated in this program, and Americans have traveled inside North Korea on two different programs.

Luckie’s previous fellowship with the East-West Center in 2018 took him to China to understand the trade war between the world’s two largest economies.

The East-West Center was established by the United States Congress in 1960 as a national educational institution to foster better relations and understanding among the peoples of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific islands through programs of cooperative study, training, and research.

The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of KLTV/KTRE-TV or Gray Television. They are solely the opinion of the author. All content © Copyright 2026 Lane Luckie