The 17th Busan-Fukuoka Forum to be Held in Busan, Korea on the 18th-19th

60th Anniversary of Korea-Japan Normalization of Diplomatic Relations, Vision for Forming a Super-Regional Economic Zone

Busan-Fukuoka Forum Chief Secretary, Jang Je-guk, President of Dongseo University

The 17th meeting of the private advisory body ‘Busan-Fukuoka Forum’ (Korean Chair: Lee Jang-ho, former Chairman of BNK Financial Group; Japanese Chair: Ishihara Susumu, Advisor of JR Kyushu), which was launched in 2006 with the vision of forming a transboundary super-regional economic zone between the two cities of Busan and Fukuoka, will be held in Busan, Korea from October 18 to 19.

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan in 2025, the theme “60th Anniversary of Korea-Japan Normalization of Diplomatic Relations ? Proposals for a More Stable and Sustainable Korea-Japan Strait Region Relationship” was selected to further activate the relationship between the two countries, which has achieved remarkable development in all fields including politics, economy, culture, education, and human exchange over the past 60 years.

At the evening welcome reception held locally on the 18th, Kim Kwang-hoe, Vice Mayor of Future Innovation of Busan, will deliver an encouragement speech, and Park Geon-chan, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Fukuoka, and Oscar Tsuyoshi, Consul General of Japan in Busan, will give congratulatory remarks. At the keynote lecture of the opening ceremony on the 19th, Lee Hee-seop, Secretary-General of the Korea-China-Japan Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, is expected to make proposals on trilateral cooperation and the present and future of Busan-Fukuoka exchange cooperation.

In the first session of the forum held at Dongseo University Centum Campus, under the theme “Proposals for Activating Human Exchange,” Shin Hyun-seok, President of the Busan Research Institute, will present on the Busan side, and Kido Hiroto, Executive Director of Kyushu Electric Power Co., Ltd., will present on the Fukuoka side.

The second session will present the results of the Japanese university student invitation program held for five nights and six days in August, hosted by Dongseo University and Pukyong National University in Busan. This training program directly invited Japanese university students to Busan, and in addition to special lectures and institutional visits by Busan members, the students are expected to make proposals to further activate exchanges between Busan and Fukuoka from their perspective.

In the following third session, under the theme “Proposals for Activating Economic Cooperation in the Korea-Japan Time Zone,” Yang Jae-saeng, Chairman of the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Tanigawa Hiromichi, Chairman of the Fukuoka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will participate. In the final free discussion session of the forum, under the theme “60 Years of Korea-Japan Relations, the Next 60 Years ? Proposals from Busan and Fukuoka,” Park Ji-yoon, Chairperson of the Sammi Foundation, and Yeom Jeong-wook, President of the Busan Bar Association, will present on the Busan side, and Saida Tadao, President of Sumitomo Corporation Kyushu, and Tokunaga Toyomu, President of the Fukuoka Bar Association, will present on the Fukuoka side.

Jang Je-guk, President of Dongseo University and Chief Secretary of the Busan-Fukuoka Forum, said, “Since this forum commemorates the 60th anniversary of the normalization of Korea-Japan diplomatic relations, we expect it to be a time to evaluate the achievements of the past 60 years and to seek new cooperation measures for the next 60 years.”

The members of this forum include on the Busan side: Lee Jang-ho, former Chairman of BNK Financial Group (Busan Chair), Koo Jeong-hoe, Executive Director of Eunseong Medical Foundation, Kim Kyung-jo, Honorary Chairman of Busan Venture Business Association, Kim Jin-su, President of Busan Ilbo, Kim Hyun-gyeom, Chairman of Panstar Group, Park Yong-jun, CEO of Samjin Food, Park Ji-yoon, Chairperson of Sammi Foundation, Bang Seong-bin, President of Busan Bank, Song Bok-cheol, President of Busan Economic Promotion Agency, Shin Jeong-taek, Chairman of Sewoon Steel, Shin Hyun-seok, President of Busan Research Institute, Yang Jae-saeng, Chairman of Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Yeom Jeong-wook, President of Busan Bar Association, Lee Oh-sang, CEO of KNN Co., Ltd., Jang Je-guk, President of Dongseo University (Secretary), Choi Sam-seop, Chairman of Daewon Plus Construction, and Choi Jae-won, President of Pusan National University; and on the Fukuoka side: Ishihara Susumu, Special Advisor of Kyushu Railway Company (Fukuoka Chair), Ishibashi Tatsuro, President of Kyushu University, a national university corporation, Kawano Yuichi, President of West Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Kawahara Masataka, President of Fukuya Co., Ltd., Kido Hiroto, Executive Director of Kyushu Electric Power Co., Ltd., Saida Tadao, President of Sumitomo Corporation Kyushu, Tagawa Daisuke, President of Nishinippon Shimbun, Tanigawa Hiromichi, Chairman of Fukuoka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Tokunaga Toyomu, President of Fukuoka Bar Association, Nagata Kiyofumi, President of Fukuoka University, Nawata Masumi, Chairperson of Kyushu Economic Research Association Foundation, Murakami Hideyuki, President of West Japan City Bank, and Matsubara Takatoshi, Secretary-General of the Fukuoka side secretariat.