Secretary General Kim Ok-chae and NEAR expert on Japan, Son Mi-kyoung, visited Japan from August 1–3 where they met with Governor Maruyama Tatsuya who won the Shimane Prefecture Governor elections in April of this year.  

Secretary General Kim expressed his gratitude to Shimane Prefecture for their active participation in various NEAR events since the establishment of NEAR in 1996 in which the prefecture played an important role as a sponsor. Opinions on current issues such as the selection of the 14th Chair Regional Government were also exchanged.

Although Governor Maruyama expressed his concern regarding the recent diplomatic conflict between Japan and Korea having a negative impact on nongovernmental exchange, he expressed his support for NEAR and continued commitment to the founding ideals of NEAR which encourage exchange and cooperation between regional governments regardless of conflicts between central governments.

Meanwhile, Japanese press including NHK-TV, Yomiuri, and Asahi Shimbun all reported on this meeting.