NEAR Secretary General Lim Byung-jin visited Pohang City Hall on August 11(Mon) and met with Pohang Mayor Park Yong-sun, who took office on July 1(Wed).
Secretary General Lim first congratulated Mayor Park on his inauguration as the 41st Mayor of Pohang and expressed his appreciation for the city’s continued support for NEAR’s development, noting that
▲ Pohang City is home to the NEAR Secretariat and has generously covered 30% of the Secretariat’s operating expenses
▲ He also briefed the mayor on NEAR’s major achievements during the first half of this year and its key events planned for the second half, including the 「NEAR+2 Local Cooperation Forum」 (August 20), a forum that members of the diplomatic corps will be invited to; the 「NEAR Youth Policy Forum」 (October 9), to be held in partnership with the World Gyeongju Forum; and the 「NEAR 30th Anniversary International Forum」 (November 12). He also invited Mayor Park to attend the 「NEAR 30th Anniversary International Forum」, which will be held in Gyeongju in November.
In response, Mayor Park
▲ Assessed that “NEAR’s standing has been significantly enhanced through its expanded reach and network and the revitalization of its platform,” and said that he would positively consider attending the NEAR 30th Anniversary International Forum.
▲ He also explained that Pohang has been pursuing a second phase of growth by moving beyond its traditional identity as a steel city and fostering the bio, secondary battery, data, and MICE industries. In particular, he requested that NEAR consider hosting major international events or events such as Youth Leaders Forum in Pohang to help promote the city’s MICE industry.
In response, Secretary General Lim said that, in support of Pohang’s efforts to develop into a MICE hub, NEAR would actively consider holding some future events organized by the NEAR Secretariat at the Pohang International Exhibition and Convention Center (POEX), which is scheduled to open next year.
Pohang City has provided 30% of the NEAR Secretariat’s annual operating expenses since 2005. In recognition of its longstanding contributions, Pohang City was approved as Special Member of NEAR in 2024.