Busan-Fukuoka Forum Resumes After 3 Years ... Held in Busan

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] The 15th meeting of the ‘Busan-Fukuoka Forum,’ which was suspended due to COVID-19, will be held for two days from the 3rd to the 4th at the Busan Lotte Hotel.

The forum is a private dialogue platform between Busan and Fukuoka, Japan. In this meeting, in-depth discussions will be held on ways to revitalize human exchanges between the two cities after COVID-19 and the “possibility of Busan-Fukuoka international industry-academia cooperation.”

It is also reported that private sector support for Busan’s efforts to host the ‘Busan EXPO 2030’ will be expressed.

At the dinner on the 3rd, Busan Mayor Park Hyung-jun will attend and give a congratulatory speech, and at the keynote lecture on the 4th, Kim Jang-sil, President of the Korea Tourism Organization, plans to deliver a speech titled “Suggestions for Revitalizing Korea-Japan Tourism.”

The 14th meeting of the 'Busan-Fukuoka Forum' held in 2020.

In addition, Lee Sung-kwon, Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs, will introduce Busan’s industry-academia cooperation plan and suggest ways to link it with Fukuoka.

Also, Hiroshi Tanigawa, Chairman of the Fukuoka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will introduce the future of Fukuoka’s commerce and industry and present ideas for cooperation between the two cities beyond borders.

Jin Yang-hyun, Director of the Busan Economic Promotion Agency, is also scheduled to present on future-oriented next-generation exchanges between Busan and Fukuoka.

Lee Jang-ho, Chairman of the Korean side, said, “I hope that the exchanges between the two cities, which have been shrinking due to COVID-19, will be revitalized through this forum and that it will help establish a future-oriented Korea-Japan relationship.”

Attending from the Korean side are Lee Jang-ho, Chairman of the Busan-Fukuoka Forum; Jang In-hwa, Chairman of the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Shin Jeong-taek, Chairman of Sewoon Steel; Kim Jin-su, President of Busan Ilbo; Shim Sang-gyun, Chairman of the Busan Employers Federation; Koo Jeong-hoe, Chairman of Eunsung Medical Foundation; Lee Oh-sang, President of KNN; Choi Sam-seop, Chairman of Daewon Plus; and Jang Je-guk, President of Dongseo University.

From the Japanese side, 37 people will attend, including Susumu Ishihara, Special Advisor of JR Kyushu and Chairman of the Fukuoka side of the Busan-Fukuoka Forum; Hiroshi Tanigawa, Chairman of the Fukuoka Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Kenya Shibata, President of the Nishinippon Shimbun; and Shuji Shimizu, Vice President of Kyushu University.