Saturday, July 29, 2017

ROK, China And Japan Take Down Walls Around Their Heart In Pye...



Press Release, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea; see also, if you (assuming you're American) wish to be amused ...] 

1. The 'Republic of Korea-China-Japan public diplomacy retreat' took place in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, on July 27 to discuss ways for the three countries to cooperate in public diplomacy. (host: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organizer: Korea Foundation, cooperator: Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, Gangwon provincial government)
o The ROK-China-Japan public diplomacy retreat was held to provide the three countries' public diplomacy experts from academia and the media, as well as about 80 provincial government officials (ROK's Gangwon Province, China's Jilin Province, Japan's Tottori Prefecture), with an opportunity to discuss the role of public diplomacy in building trust among the three countries.
o In Pyeongchang, where the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and the Pyeongchang Winter Music Festival take place, the retreat participants engaged in in-depth discussions on ways to cooperate in public diplomacy through sports, cultural and artistic exchanges, the issue of mutual interest among the three countries and an area where they can work together.
2. The event began with opening remarks by Ambassador for Public Diplomacy of the Foreign Ministry Park Enna, and welcome remarks by President of the Korea Foundation Lee Si-hyung, Deputy Secretary-General of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat Lee Jong-heon, and Ambassador for International Affairs of Gangwon Province Kim Rae-hyuk. Following the remarks, the participants discussed the role of public diplomacy in advancing relations among the ROK, China and Japan; areas of public diplomacy where the three countries can work together and specific cooperation projects; and the current state of cooperation in public diplomacy among the three countries' provincial governments.
o Ambassador for Public Diplomacy Park Enna said that as enhancing friendship among the people of the three Northeast Asian countries is essential to achieve peace, co-existence and co-prosperity, public diplomacy is all the more important.
o President of the Korea Foundation Lee Si-hyung said that the event was meaningful as it served as an opportunity for the three countries to explore ways to cooperate in public diplomacy, building upon previous discussions on bilateral cooperation in public diplomacy.
o Ambassador for International Affairs of Gangwon Province Kim Rae-hyuk stressed that the establishment of sisterhood relationship and friendly ties as well as economic, cultural and people-to-people exchanges among provincial governments are important assets for public diplomacy.
o Key participants from academia, media and provincial governments of the three countries proposed substantive ways for the countries to cooperate in public diplomacy in order to establish relations that remain steady even in a time of regional tensions.
3. The public diplomacy retreat among the three countries, which came after 'creating a responsible community in Northeast Asia' and 'promoting national interests through public diplomacy' were selected as the new ROK government's key policy tasks in foreign and security affairs, served as an important opportunity for the three countries to share ways to dispel distrust and defuse discord among the people of the three countries through public diplomacy, and to make concrete policy recommendations to the governments of the countries.
* unofficial translation

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