TCS

​Program In China – 2018.06.13-06.17

The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) successfully organized the 5th Trilateral Journalist Exchange Program (TJEP) in China from June 13 to 17, 2018. Deputy Secretary-General HAN Mei led the delegation of 9 senior journalists from the three countries. 

During this year’s program, under the theme of Trilateral Cooperation in the Next Decade, journalists met with Chen Hai, Deputy Director-General of Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended the regular press conference at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had discussions with experts from the National Institute of International Strategy of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, had a seminar with experts from China Foreign Affairs University and visited Tencent’s online media group to discuss new media technology. 

The participants took advantage of this opportunity to increase their understanding of trilateral cooperation, and had discussions on how to push forward trilateral cooperation towards higher levels, broader areas, larger scales.

Journalists would travel to Japan from June 17 to 19 to visit related government agencies, think-tank, experts and research institutes. 

Program In Japan – 2018.06.17-06.20

Following the visit to China from 13-17 June, the delegation of the Trilateral Journalist Exchange Program moved to Tokyo, Japan.

On 18 June, the TJEP delegation first visited the Japan Institute of International Affairs, one of the most prominent think-tanks on diplomacy and security in Japan. The journalists engaged in a very active discussion regarding the outcomes of the recent Trilateral Summit, issues related to DPRK, and future prospects of trilateral relations.

The delegation also visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for a briefing about the current situation and future prospects of cooperation in Northeast Asia. The topics discussed included the 7th Trilateral Summit, FTA negotiations in the region and future cooperation potentials including infrastructure development in Asia.

The final visit of the day was an interview at the Asahi Shimbun Media Lab. The representative of the Media Lab presented its innovative projects to go beyond conventional newspaper business and the journalists explored how media can cope with the social change and continue developing its business.

On 19 June, the delegation visited Hakuhodo DY Media Partners Institute of Media Environment. They had an insightful discussion about the changes of media environment in recent years and how journalism can adapt to the rapid development of new technologies and social trends.

The final interview of the program was conducted at Japan External Trade Organization. The interview helped the participants deepen their understanding of the recent trends of trilateral economic cooperation and future potentials of business expansion among the three countries.

The journalists would travel to Seoul from 20-22 June.

Program In Korea – 2018.06.20-06.22

The journalist delegation of the 5th Trilateral Journalist Exchange Program continued their journey in the Republic of Korea from June 20 to 22, 2018.

On June 20, the delegation moved to Seoul, ROK and started the Korean schedule by visiting the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat and meeting with the Secretary-General Mr. LEE Jong-heon. Secretary-General LEE briefed the journalists on the significance of trilateral cooperation as well as the vision and functions of the TCS. The journalist asked many questions about trilateral relations including the TCS' role in accelerating and facilitating the development of trilateral cooperation, challenges and opportunities related to the CJK FTA, and the future direction of the trilateral cooperation and the TCS.

On June 21, the delegation paid a visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the ROK. They were briefed on the ROK government's take on the recent developments surrounding the Korean peninsula and asked many questions related to ROK-China, ROK-Japan bilateral relations and trilateral relations as well as the denuclearization of the DPRK.

In the afternoon, the delegation visited SBS, one of the leading media company in the ROK on new media issues. They were briefed on how radio and television programs are made inside SBS, and how SBS is utilizing new forms of news to adapt to the changing media environment. The journalists had an active dialogue, sharing their experiences at their own workplaces.

The 2018 Trilateral Journalist Exchange Program concluded on June 22, 2018 with a seminar co-hosted by the TCS and the Korea Press Foundation. At the Seminar, TCS Deputy Secretary-General HAN Mei delivered congratulatory remarks on the significance of trilateral cooperation and the role of media especially amid the recent developments in Northeast Asia. and journalism experts from the three countries analyzed the responses of the three countries’ media to the recent political developments surrounding the Korean peninsula. The journalist delegation also participated in the seminar, engaged in a lively discussion with the experts regarding the roles and responsibilities of media and shared their perspectives on how to further develop cooperation to bring peace and co-prosperity in the region.