On August 21, NEAR Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin attended the opening ceremony of “The Wings of Exchange in Shimane,” an event organized by the NEAR Subcommittee on Educational and Cultural Exchange at Matsue Teru in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. There he delivered his congratulatory remarks.

In his remarks, Mr. Lim stated that although the world is currently facing a period where conflict and confrontation are intensifying rather than cooperation and competition, exchanges of local governments and private sectors must continue. He emphasized that it is especially important for young people to respect and understand each other without holding prejudices about the ideas or cultures of neighboring countries. Mutual understanding among young people can serve as a crucial foundation for peace and stability in this region in the future, he added. 

This event, taking place from August 21 to 26, will be participated by 20 young people from four countries: South Korea, China, Japan, and Brazil. It will include a variety of activities such as opinion exchanges, project presentations, Japanese culture experiences, and house-visiting.

*Participant Breakdown by Home Regions: Seven Koreans (from Gyeongsangbuk-do, Uiduk University, Dongguk University), six Chinese (from Jilin and Ningxia Provinces), ten Japanese, and one Brazilian)

Marking its 22^nd year, the Wings of Exchange in Shimane is an event organized by the NEAR Subcommittee on Educational and Cultural Exchange of Shimane Prefecture. Due to COVID-19, the event involved the international students living in Japan only for the past two years. However, this year, for the first time, students from Korea, China, and Brazil have been invited to participate. This international exchange event aims to help young people from different countries understand each other’s cultures and broaden their global perspectives through exchanges and cultural experiences.