Japan-Korea Mayors and Governors Conference held in Incheon... ”Building a model for cooperation between the two countries”

The Council of Cities and Provinces of the Republic of Korea announced that it held the 8th Japan-Korea Mayors and Governors Conference in collaboration with the National Governors' Association of Japan in Incheon from the 11th to the 13th.
The meeting will be held to discuss the direction of practical cooperation between the two governors' organizations, with the themes of "exploring cooperation plans in the economic and industrial fields" and "measures to address population decline and the disappearance of rural areas."
The conference was held for the first time in two years, following the Yamanashi conference in 2016. From the South Korean side, representatives from six governors' associations and organizations attended, including Incheon Metropolitan Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, chairman of the South Korean Council of Cities and Provinces.
From the Japanese side, representatives of nine local governments, led by Nagano Governor Shuichi Abe, and Secretary General of the Japan Governors' Association Masanobu Nakajima attended.
In his opening remarks on the 12th, Chairman Yu said, "Local governments are in the field closest to the lives of the people, and they provide practical cooperation in areas such as the economy, culture, humanities, and youth exchanges.
"For the future-oriented relationship between the two countries, exchanges between local governments are more important than ever," he said, emphasizing that "this year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea, and is a significant year."
"There have been difficult times over the past 60 years, but recently travel between the two countries has reached an all-time high," he said, suggesting that "local governments in both countries should take the lead in revitalizing exchanges."
At the conference, the delegations from both countries shared the recognition that "population decline and stagnant regional economies are common challenges facing local governments in both countries," and agreed to hold a forum to share the experiences and strengths of local governments in both countries.
We decided to build a model of cooperation.