Chungcheongnam-do

▲ 4th Pan Yellow-Sea Forum

With an atmosphere of peace spreading throughout the Korean Peninsula after three inter-Korean summits and talks between the United States and North Korea, Chungcheongnam-do prepared an event for experts from Korea, China and Japan with the hope to seek peace, coexistence and prosperity in the Pan-Yellow Sea region.

 

From November 1st to 2nd, Chungcheongnam-do hosted the 4th Pan Yellow-Sea Forum at Lotte Buyeo Resort. Hosted by the province and co-organized by the East Asia Foundation and ChungNam Institute, the forum selected “Towards the Age of Coexistence and Prosperity in the Pan-Yellow Sea” as its theme.

More than 300 Korean, Chinese and Japanese experts attended the event, including Yang Seung-jo, Governor of Chungcheongnam-do; Moon Chung-in, Special Advisor to President Moon Jae-in for Foreign Affairs and National Security; Yasumasa Nagamine, Japanese Ambassador to South Korea; Gong Ro-myung, Chairman of the East Asia Foundation (former Minister of Foreign Affairs); and Yu Myung-hwan and Kim Sung-hwan, both former Ministers of Foreign Affairs in South Korea. 
 

The opening ceremony held on the 1st began with Governor Yang’s opening speech which was followed by Special Advisor Moon’s keynote address on the topic “A New Age of Peace and the Coexistence and Prosperity of the Pan-Yellow Sea.” Then, a special session under the topic “Forecast on the Settlement of Peace in the Pan Yellow-Sea thanks to Improved North-South Relations” was led by former Minister Yu and, after Governor Yang conducted a keynote presentation, a discussion was carried out by former Minister Kim; Chan Siu Chun, an adviser at the Chinese embassy in Korea; and Okonogi Masao, a honorary professor at Keio University. 
 

A special session was also held to explore the roles of Korea, China and Japan in terms of lasting peace and prosperity in the Pan Yellow-Sea region, the role of Chungcheongnam-do as a regional government to bring about cooperation among the three countries, and areas in which the province can lead in North-South cooperation.

Afterwards, the main session began with 6 topics for discussion: ▲ The roles of local governments in overcoming low birth rates and an aging population, ▲ Methods to promote a Korea-China submarine tunnel, ▲ Cases of public diplomacy by local governments and its development plan, ▲ Korea-China-Japan think tank round, ▲ Management and protection of marine resources in the Yellow Sea, and ▲ Corporate cooperation and vitalization of investments among Korea, China and Japan. 
 

During the session for discussion on “the roles of local governments in overcoming low birth rates and an aging population,” the gravity of low birth rates and the aging phenomenon in the countryside and non-metropolitan areas was stressed once again, and policy directions for Chungcheongnam-do were sought by reviewing the case of a local government in Japan. Then, during the session that discussed “methods to promote a Korea-China submarine tunnel,” participants talked about strategic agreements and the expected effects of the submarine tunnel route, connecting Taean, Gyeongnyeolbi Yeoldo and China’s Shandong Peninsula, which is being raised as a future strategic project. 
 

During the session on the “Cases of public diplomacy by local governments and its development plan,” the meaning and importance of public diplomacy led by local governments were defined and the means to maintain a sustainable Pan-Yellow Sea Forum were explored, while the “Korea-China-Japan think tank round” featured a review of ways to cooperate among think tanks of local governments from the three nations in order to, for example, promote joint projects.

In addition, the session on “Management and protection of marine resources in the Yellow Sea” sought ways to co-manage and protect marine resources in eastern China, before discussions were held about industrial growth and foster strategies in the area, as well as methods to vitalize cooperation among the regional industries of each country during the final session on “Corporate cooperation and vitalization of investments among Korea, China and Japan”.