n January 24, the NEAR Secretariat invited Kang Duk-soo, professor at the Department of Russian Language and English at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, who gave a special lecture as part of a capacity building program for staff under the theme, “Understanding the Republic of Sakha and the Arctic Circle.” Professor Kang is the President of Korea-Sakha Friendship Association, and he has been engaged in private exchange between the Sakha Repulic and South Korea for ten years. The Republic of Sakha, a NEAR member, is located in East Siberia and rich in underground resources. It is the center for the development of natural resources in the Far East in Russia.

Professor Kang Duck-soo introduced the republic, its industries, language, and culture, and spoke about the railway connecting Vladivostok and Yakutsk and the Arctic sea route via the Lena river, as one of the transportation routes in the Sakha Republic. Furthermore, Professor Kang also proposed  ways to enhance cooperation between the Saha-Korean University Student Forum and the NEAR Young Leaders Forum, which are held annually.