Korea-Japan Forum | 26th Meeting

The 26th Korea-Japan Forum met in Tokyo, bringing together more than 50 participants from both countries, including influential politicians, businesspeople, scholars, journalists, and representatives of private exchange organizations. The meeting was focused on the 20th anniversary of the 1998 Japan–South Korea joint declaration on “A New Japan-Korea Partnership towards the 21st Century” and how that vision might be revised to ensure stronger and more productive relations in the future. Participants discussed such issues as the US-DPRK summit and nuclear issues, and how Japan and South Korea might cooperate to tackle other common issues facing the two countries, and how to address their shared concern over the current chaos in the world trading system. During the event, two receptions were held, hosted by Japan’s Foreign Minister Taro Kono and by Korean Ambassador to Japan Lee Su-hoon. A chairmen’s statement was released following the event.

The event, which has been held since 1993, also featured the 4th Korea-Japan Junior Forum, which brings together about 20 undergraduate and graduate students from both countries. The students broke into groups for frank exchanges on the topic of how to promote mutual understanding and exchange among youths in the two countries, and they then presented their proposals to the senior forum participants.

This year’s Korea-Japan Forum Award went to two organizations rather than to an individual. The recipients were the Liaison Council of All Places Associated with Chosen Tsushinshi (Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture) and the Busan Cultural Foundation (Busan, South Korea), which worked together to submit a successful application to the UNESCO Memory of the World register to recognize 17th-to 19th-century records of Korean envoys to Japan.

26th Korea-Japan Forum

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