On March 7, Secretary General Lim Byung-jin met with Mayor Lee Kang-deok of Pohang, a special member of NEAR and a financial sponsor of the Secretariat. During the meeting, Mr. Lim expressed gratitude for the city government’s decision to raise the Secretariat’s 2024 annual budget, sharing NEAR's key achievements and major events planned for this year. They also discussed ways to strengthen collaboration between NEAR and Pohang City.
In addition, Mr. Lim stated that since Pohang is the permanent location of the NEAR Secretariat and provides a portion of the Secretariat’s annual budget, the NEAR Secretariat will also strive to contribute to enhancing Pohang’s international image and promoting international cooperation. He also requested that Pohang, as a special member of NEAR, actively participate in various NEAR events, including this year’s General Assembly.
Mr. Lee congratulated Mr. Lim on his reappointment as NEAR Secretary-General and acknowledged the significant enhancement of NEAR's international standing and revitalization under his leadership. This included the expansion of NEAR’s membership with the accession of three new regular members, one new associate member, one new observer, and one new special member. Mr. Lee further expressed Pohang’s commitment to actively participating in NEAR's activities and stated that the city would strongly support NEAR’s development into a truly representative international organization for multilateral exchange among local governments in Northeast Asia.
On the same day, Mr. Lim visited the Pohang City Council and met with Chairman Kim Il-man. During the meeting, Mr. Lim provided an update on the current status of NEAR, explained the planned activities and major events for this year, and expressed his gratitude for the increase in this year’s budget. He also requested the council’s continued interest and support for NEAR’s activities.