International Activities

The Korea Research Institute for Local Administration (KRILA), with Acting President Jaebok Ju, and the Tokyo Office of the Council for Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR), headed by Director Norimasa Kodani, co-hosted the 15th Korea-Japan Joint Seminar on "Strengthening Regional Competitiveness and Revitalizing Regions" at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry on July 30th at 2 PM.

The seminar was attended by academics, government officials from local governments in both Korea and Japan, and other panelists. The opening ceremony began with an opening address by Acting President Jaebok Joo of KRILA, followed by a welcome address by Kiyoshi Koike, Director of the Council for Local Authorities for International Relations, and congratulatory remarks by Im Cheol-eon, Director-General of the Balanced Regional Development Support Bureau at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and Koichi Mizushima, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Korea. This was followed by keynote speeches by representatives of local governments from Korea and Japan.

Yun Byung-tae, Mayor of Naju City, Jeollanam-do, delivered a keynote speech titled "The Opening of a New Era of Yeongsangang River: Designing the Future with History," while Kazuyasu Hirota, Mayor of Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture, presented on the topic of "The Challenge of a Vibrant and Healthy Kurayoshi on the Occasion of the Opening of the Prefectural Art Museum.“

The thematic presentation session was chaired by Yoo Min-bong, Secretary-General of the Association of Governors of Korean Provinces, with presentations by Futoshi Watanabe, Professor of Regional Communication at Tottori Junior College, and Park Jin-kyung, Research Fellow at KRILA.

Acting President Jaebok Joo of KRILA expressed his hope that "through this seminar, both Korea and Japan can find new insights and solutions to strengthen regional competitiveness and revitalize regions." He added, "This seminar, with the participation of central governments, local governments, and research institutions from both Korea and Japan, will serve as an important opportunity to share innovative approaches to solving regional problems, enhance mutual understanding and cooperation, and contribute to sustainable regional development and improved quality of life for residents." He further expressed his expectation that "this will lead to the development of practical policy proposals that contribute to sustainable regional development and improved quality of life for residents."