TCS

On September 12, 2024, the 15th Trilateral Culture Ministers’ Meeting (TCMM) was held in Kyoto, Japan. The meeting was chaired by H.E. MORIYAMA Masahito, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, with H.E. ZHANG Zheng, Vice Minister of the China National Tourism Administration, and H.E. YONG Ho-seong, the 1st Vice Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of the Republic of Korea. The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) Secretary-General, LEE Hee-sup, attended the meeting as an observer. At the meeting, the three ministers discussed the following agendas: 1) Deepening cultural exchange and cooperation - Promoting future generation exchanges and interagency exchanges to strengthen friendship and solidarity, 2) Strengthening exchanges and cooperation among Culture City of East Asia (CCEA) - Focusing on sustainable urban development through culture, 3) Importance of culture as a global public good - Contributing to solving global problems through cultural initiatives, 4) Strengthening the protection and cooperation of cultural heritage areas - Addressing challenges such as climate change and natural disasters, 5) Supporting digital transformation (DX) and creative activities in culture - Enhancing the development of creators and cultural industries, 6) Improving cultural attractiveness through collaboration in other fields - Promoting cultural tourism and collaborating with sports competitions. Following the meeting, the three ministers signed the 2024 Kyoto Declaration and the Memorandum of Cooperation (MOU) for the year of cultural exchange in 2025-2026. After the signing ceremony, the declaration ceremony for CCEA2025 took place. During the CCEA declaration ceremony, Macao Special Administrative Region, Huzhou City (China), Kamakura City (Japan), and Anseong City (ROK) were designated as 2025CCEAs. The 16th TCMM will be hosted by China in 2025.▲Three Ministers at TCMM▲Signing ceremony for the 2024 Kyoto Declaration and MOU▲2025 CCEAs Declared▲H.E. MORIYAMA and TCS SG

On September 11, 2024, TCS Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup met with Mr. HARAIKAWA Naoya, Commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency, on the occasion of the Trilateral Tourism Ministers’ Meeting. They exchanged ideas on promoting tourism cooperation among the three countries, as well as between Japan and Korea.▲SG LEE met with Mr. HARAIKAWA, Commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency

The 10th Trilateral Tourism Ministers’ Meeting (TTMM) was held on September 11, 2024, in Kobe, Japan. The meeting was presided over by H.E. SAITO Tetsuo, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism of Japan, with the participation of H.E. ZHANG Zheng, Vice Minister of the China National Tourism Administration, and H.E. YU In-chon, Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of the Republic of Korea. The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) Secretary-General, LEE Hee-sup, also participated and delivered congratulatory remarks.On behalf of TCS, Secretary-General LEE emphasized the significance of this meeting, noting that the momentum of trilateral cooperation is strengthening since the 9th Trilateral Summit held in May. He also highlighted that people-to-people exchanges among the three countries are recovering to pre-COVID levels. He underlined that, thanks to having good neighbors, the three countries have experienced remarkable growth, and we need to cooperate more closely—not only for the benefit of the three countries but also to lead East Asia and the world.He concluded his speech by promising continued support from the TCS for promoting tourism cooperation among the three countries.At the meeting, the three ministers discussed three main agendas: 1) the rapid recovery of tourism exchanges in the post-pandemic era and the confirmation and strengthening of further cooperation and cooperation systems; 2) the promotion of sustainable tourism with Japan, China, and South Korea as the core of Asia; and 3) the broadening, diversifying, and enhancement of high-quality tourism exchanges through the promotion of customer attraction to various regions.After the meeting, the three ministers signed the Joint Statement of the 10th meeting, which included a commitment to strengthening cooperation with the TCS to further promote tourism cooperation.The Trilateral Tourism Ministers’ Meeting was suspended during the COVID pandemic, and this was the first meeting held in five years. The next meeting is scheduled to take place in China in 2025.▲SG LEE delivering his congratulatory remarks at the 10th TTMM▲SG LEE delivering his congratulatory remarks at the 10th TTMM▲Joint Statement signed by the head of three delegations▲Three ministers and TCS SG

On September 4, the 10th Consultative Meeting on Consumer Policy among China, Japan and Korea took place in Seoul, Korea, hosted by the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) and Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) with the participation of representatives from the State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) of China, China Consumers Association Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA), Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) of Japan, National Consumer Affairs Center (NCAC) of Japan. TCS Deputy Secretary-General ZUSHI Shuji attended the meeting and delivered a speech. During his speech, DSG ZUSHI emphasized the importance of trilateral cooperation, noting that the recent resumption of the Trilateral Summit and Foreign Ministers' Meeting reflects a renewed commitment to this partnership. He highlighted the growing need for consumer policy cooperation due to the rise in cross-border e-commerce and post-COVID travel, urging stronger collaboration to protect consumer rights across these nations. The TCS remains dedicated to supporting these efforts. This year’s meeting focused on strengthening cooperation in consumer policy, addressing cross-border consumer harms, and sharing updates on the collective consumer redress systems in the three countries. Sessions included discussions on the latest consumer policy trends, consumption market trends, and the challenges faced in implementing collective redress systems. The event underlined the ongoing commitment of the three nations to enhance consumer protection and foster collaboration in tackling emerging consumer issues in the region.▲ Group photo▲TCS Deputy Secretary-General ZUSHI Shuji delivering speech