'60th Anniversary of Korea-Japan Normalization of Diplomatic Relations'... Korea-Japan Business Circles to Meet in Seoul Next Month

60th Anniversary of Korea-Japan Normalization of Diplomatic Relations
Discussions on Cooperation in Hydrogen, Tourism, and Bio Sectors
Adoption of a "New Partnership Joint Declaration" by Business Leaders Expected
Keynote Speeches by Yoon Jinsik and Koji Akiyoshi
Private-Sector Economic Cooperation Channel Launched in 1969

To mark the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan, business leaders from both countries will gather in Seoul to discuss ways to expand economic cooperation.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea-Japan Economic Association, together with the Japan-Korea Economic Association and the Japan-Korea Industrial Technology Cooperation Foundation, will hold the 57th Korea-Japan Business Conference at the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul, from the 27th to the 28th of next month. The theme of this year's conference is "60 Years of Korea-Japan Normalization of Diplomatic Relations: Broader and Deeper Korea-Japan Cooperation."

The event will be attended by about 300 business representatives from both countries, including Kim Yoon, Chairman of the Korea-Japan Economic Association, and Sasaki Mikio, Chairman of the Japan-Korea Economic Association. On the Korean side, Yoon Jin-sik, Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, and on the Japanese side, the next chairman Koji Akiyoshi, Chairman of Asahi Group Holdings, will deliver keynote speeches.

This year, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of normalization of diplomatic relations, the business communities of both countries plan to adopt the "New Korea-Japan Partnership Joint Declaration for Business Leaders." The conference will announce cooperation plans in fields such as the hydrogen industry, tourism, and bio-healthcare, and discuss the current status of Korea-Japan economic exchanges and future cooperation directions. After the conference, a joint statement will be adopted and a press conference will be held.

Prior to the main conference, on the 26th, Japanese participants are scheduled to visit Korean government agencies.

The Korea-Japan Business Conference, which began in 1969, is a representative private-sector economic meeting between the two countries that has been held annually without interruption despite political conflicts or the pandemic. To date, the total number of participants is 12,370, including 6,474 from Korea and 5,896 from Japan. At last year's conference in Tokyo, a joint statement was adopted on mutually beneficial economic cooperation for sustainable development and a "Korea-Japan Partnership Leading to the Future."