TCS

The 9th Trilateral Journalist Exchange Program (TJEP), hosted by the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS), concluded with a closing ceremony in Seoul on March 8, 2025. Under the theme "Trilateral Cooperation: Towards a Shared Future," the week-long program brought together 12 journalists from China, Japan, and Korea. Participants engaged in government visits, interviews, cultural experiences, and networking activities to enhance mutual understanding and explore future cooperation. 

TCS Secretary General LEE Hee-sup delivered closing remarks, emphasizing the crucial role of media in strengthening trilateral cooperation. He encouraged participants to leverage their experiences to foster deeper understanding among the three countries, reaffirming TCS’s commitment to expanding exchanges and cooperation. The closing ceremony also welcomed alumni of past TJEP programs and students from the Young Ambassador Program (YAP), fostering further exchanges among journalists from the three countries. 

As part of the program, TJEP participants visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, where they met with the ministry’s spokesperson and attended a briefing on trilateral cooperation led by OH Jin-hee, Deputy-Director-General of the Asia and Pacific Affairs Bureau. They also toured the ministry’s regular press briefing room. Additionally, participants immersed themselves in Korean culture, enjoying a NANTA performance, experiencing Korean cuisine through a meal of bulgogi, and networking with each other. The program also featured a traditional mother-of-pearl craft experience, where participants could create their own artwork and interviewed craftsmaster LEE Young-ok, deepening their appreciation of Korean art and culture. 

This year’s TJEP marked the first post-pandemic edition to visit all three countries—China, Japan, and Korea. Over the time of six nights and seven days, participants traveled through Beijing, Tokyo, and Seoul, gaining firsthand insight into each country’s media environment while engaging in interviews and cultural exchanges to promote mutual understanding.