International Activities

The Korea Research Institute for Local Administration(KRILA) and the Council of Local Authorities for International Relations(CLAIR) held the 13th Korea-Japan Joint Seminar in collaboration with the Presidential Council of the Republic of Korea, the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and the Japanese Embassy of the Republic of Korea at 2 p.m. on November 9 (Wednesday).

The seminar consisted of a keynote lecture by Wonju Mayor Won Kang-soo of Gangwon-do and Wako Mayor Mitsuko Shibasaki, Saitama Prefecture, followed by a topic presentation and discussion session.

First, Won Kang-soo, mayor of Wonju, Gangwon-do, gave a lecture on "How to Revitalize the Local Economy in Wonju," followed by Mitsuko Shibasaki, mayor of Saitama Prefecture, giving a lecture on "regenerating local communities in the COVID-19 situation."

In the topic presentation session, Professor Satomi Yamato of the Department of Regional Creation at Nara Prefectural University introduced the cases of Atami City and Nishiki Nishikori in Nagoya under the theme of "Regional Regeneration of Residents," and Lee Seo-hee, an associate research fellow at the Korea Research Institute for Local Administration(KRILA), announced the "Strategy to Promote Special Opportunity Development Zone for Balanced Regional Development."

Kim Il-jae, president of the Korea Research Institute for Local Administration(KRILA), emphasized, "The regional economic downturn caused by the rapid population decline and prolonged COVID-19 is a very important task for all members of the local community as well as the central government and local governments to solve together." "We will continue to work at the institute to ensure that various alternatives such as fostering local talent through Japan's local creation policy, relocating local companies, and introducing Korea's special opportunity development zones are the basis for promoting local economic revitalization strategies led by local governments in the future."