- A Platform for Exchange and Cooperation among 46 Regional Governments from six Northeast Asian Countries -
The Secretariat of the Association of North East Asia Regional Governments (NEAR), led by Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin, successfully hosted the 2025 NEAR Member Government Workshop and Meeting of International Relations Ambassadors from March 12 to 14, 2025, at the Lotte Hotel in Jeju. The event brought together approximately 120 participants, including representatives from 46 regional governments across six countries (China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan) and six partner organizations.
The NEAR Member Government Workshop is an annual event aimed at strengthening exchange and human networks among member governments, sharing plans for NEAR activities for the year, and benchmarking successful policies of member regions.
The opening ceremony featured welcoming remarks from NEAR Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin and Jeju Governor Oh Young-hun. They were followed by congratulatory messages from Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Council Chairman Park Sung-man (delivered by Vice Chair of the Planning & Economy Committee Son Hee-kwon), Russian Ambassador to Korea Georgy Zinoviev, TCS Secretary-General Lee Hee-seop, Chinese Consul General in Jeju Chen Jianjun, and Japanese Consul General in Jeju Takeda Katsutoshi, demonstrating growing interest and support for NEAR not only at the regional but also at the national level.
During the workshop, the NEAR Secretariat presented a report on its key initiatives for 2025, including the 15th General Assembly to be held in Liaoning Province, China, and the Subcommittee on Youth Policy to be hosted by Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. Member governments shared their plans and promotional efforts for major international events, such as the APEC 2025 preparations by Gyeongsangbuk-do and the World Archery Championships in Gwangju. In addition, participants discussed suggestions for the Secretariat and policy proposals addressing common challenges faced by Northeast Asian regions.
A notable feature of this year’s workshop was the arrangement of one-on-one bilateral exchange sessions between member governments. A total of 11 regions participated in tailored discussions on topics such as attracting international students, economic and trade cooperation, culture, and the arts, reaffirming the practical value of NEAR as a multilateral exchange platform among local governments in Northeast Asia.
To promote the APEC 2025 summit in Gyeongju, the Secretariat distributed promotional materials, screened a video presentation, and featured a briefing by Gyeongsangbuk-do’s International Relations Ambassador on the province’s APEC preparations.
Secretary-General Lim remarked, “The size of the NEAR workshop this year is the largest to date, with 46 member governments from six countries and the participation of five governors or vice-governors and 26 director-level officials. The presence of six partner institutions, including the Russian Ambassador to Korea, further elevated the status of the event and enhanced NEAR’s international visibility.”
He added, “At a time when global and Northeast Asian dynamics are increasingly shaped by competition and tension rather than cooperation, the NEAR platform — led by Gyeongsangbuk-do — plays a vital role in promoting exchange and collaboration among regional governments in the region.”