Korea, Japan, China sign memorandum on cultural exchange at trilateral ministers' meeting

Kyoto, JAPAN — Korea, Japan and China designated 2025 and 2026 as the years of cultural exchange during the 15th Korea-Japan-China Culture Ministers’ Meeting held on Thursday at the Kyoto International Conference Center in Kyoto, Japan.

Yong Ho-seong, Korea's first vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, right, Japan's Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Masahito Moriyama, center, and Zhang Zheng, vice minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China, left, pose for a photo during the 15th Korea-Japan-China Culture Ministers' Meeting at the Kyoto International Conference Center in Kyoto, Japan, on Thursday. [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

Kyoto, JAPAN — Korea, Japan and China designated 2025 and 2026 as the years of cultural exchange during the 15th Korea-Japan-China Culture Ministers’ Meeting held on Thursday at the Kyoto International Conference Center in Kyoto, Japan.

Yong Ho-seong, Korea's first vice minister of culture, sports and tourism, attended the event on behalf of Culture Minister Yu In-chon, and signed the memorandum of cooperation to actively cooperate in cultural exchanges between the three nations.

This memorandum, according to the Culture Ministry, establishes a framework for cooperation, including the formation of a joint committee to identify and promote practical cultural exchange projects that people of the three countries can experience. Since the signing of a brief cultural agreement in 1965, no comprehensive memorandum addressing cultural exchange and cooperation between Korea and Japan has been signed.

"The support of the people of the three countries is a key driving force for deepening cooperation, and culture connects the hearts of the people,” Yong said, stressing the importance of exchanges among future generations as the foundation for long-term cooperation and mature national development.

During the two-way talk with the Japanese culture minister held before the three-way meeting, Yong said he requested two things of Japan regarding the controversial Sado mines. One was to make modifications to the newly established Aikawa History Museum and the other was to have high-ranking officials attend the annual memorial ceremony for forced Korean laborers who were dispatched to the Sado mines during Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule.

“I can’t go into details as to what we talked about, but the Japanese minister said he would reach out to the related department in Korea and discuss the issue,” said Yong.

With Zhang Zheng, vice minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China, Yong said they agreed on the importance of improving the convenience of travelers between the two countries and discussed ways to work with each respective country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Justice to ease visa requirements.

The three countries also announced the selection of the 2025 East Asian Cultural Cities during the meeting. They are the Anseong City of Korea; Macau Special Administrative Region and Huzhou City of China; and Kamakura City of Japan.

The East Asian Cultural City initiative was launched in 2014. It aims to enhance mutual understanding and promote regional exchanges by identifying cities that showcase unique cultural content. Over the past decade, this initiative has contributed to creating a shared identity among the three countries and enhancing the branding of individual cities through cultural exchange.

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [yim.seunghye@joongang.co.kr]