Qualifications of Membership

Member - Regional governments in the People’s Republic of China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Mongolia, and the Federation of Russia in Northeast Asia which have agreed to the founding philosophy of the Association.

Associate Member - Regional governments of countries which are located in Asia excluding the Northeast region and have agreed to the founding philosophy of the Association.

Affiliation Procedure

• Filling out Application Form (Authorized by Governor)
• Submitting to NEAR Secretariat
• Qualifying Observer Membership
• Approving at General Assembly or Working Committee
• Official Membership
   (Associate Membership)

Location of NEAR Members

Members

• In 1996, the year when NEAR was founded, 29 local governments from four countries – Heilongjiang Province, Shandong Province, and Henan Province of China; Aomori Prefecture, Fukui Prefecture, Hyogo Prefecture, Ishikawa Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Niigata Prefecture, Shimane Prefecture, Tottori Prefecture, and Toyama Prefecture of Japan; Gyeonggi-do Province, Gangwon-do Province, Chungcheongbuk-do Province, Chungcheongnam-do Province, Jeollabuk-do Province, Jeollanam-do Province, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province of South Korea; Amur Region, Chita Region[Chita Region was integrated into Zabaikalsky Territory along with Aginsky Buryatsky Region on March 1, 2008.] , Irkutsk Region, Kamchatka Territory, Khabarovsk Territory, the Republic of Buryatia, the Republic of Sakha(Yakutia), and Sakhalin Region of Russia – participated
• As of 1998, 32 regional governments from five countries
  • Yamagata Prefecture of Japan, Tuv Province of Mongolia, and Primorsky Territory of Russia joined
  • Liaoning Province participated as an observer
• As of 2000, 34 regional governments from five countries
  • Yamagata Prefecture of Japan, Tuv Province of Mongolia, and Primorsky Territory of Russia joined
  • Liaoning Province participated as an observer
• As of 2002, 37 regional governments from five countries
  • Selenge Province of Mongolia, and Hamgyeongbuk-do Province and Rasun City of North Korea joined
• As of September 2006, 64 regional governments from six countries
  • Hubei Province and Hunan Province of China; Daegu Metropolitan City of South Korea; Ulaanbaatar City, Dornod Province, Sukhbaatar Province, Khentii Province, Dornogovi Province, Dundgovi Province, Umnugovi Province, Bulgan Province, Uvurkhangai Province, Bayankhongor Province, Arkhangai Province, Khuvsgul Province, Zavkhan Province, Govi-Altai Province, Khovd Province, Uvs Province, Bayan-Ulgii Province, Orkhon Province, Govisumber Province, and Darkhan-Uul Province of Mongolia; Tomsk Region, Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Republic of Tuva, and Altai Territory of Russia joined
• As of September 2008, 69 regional governments from six countries
  • Incheon Metropolitan City, Gwangju Metropolitan City, Daejeon Metropolitan City, and Ulsan Metropolitan City of South Korea and Magadan Region of Russia joined
• As of October 2010, 70 regional governments from six countries
  • Kemerovo Region of Russia joined
• As of July 2012, 71 regional governments from six countries
  • Sejong Self-Governing City of South Korea joined
• As of October 2014, 73 regional governments from six countries
  • Jilin Province of China and the Republic of Khakassia of Russia joined
• As of October 2016, 77 regional governments from six countries
  • Shanxi Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Shaanxi Province, and Anhui Province of China joined
• As of October 2018, 78 regional governments from six countries and one associate member
  • Akita Prefecture of Japan joined
  • Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam joined as an associate member
• As of August 2021, 79 regional governments from six countries and one associate member regional government
  • Liaoning Province of China joined
• As of October 2023, 81 regional governments from six countries and one associate member regional government
  • Gansu Province of China and the Republic of Altai of Russia joined
• As of September 2024, 82 regional governments from six countries, one special member regional government from one country, and two associate member regional governments from two countries
  • Qinghai Province of China joined
  • Pohang City of South Korea joined as a special member
  • Chuy Region of Kyrgyzstan joined as an associate member

• China(14)
• Japan(11)
• South Korea(16)
• North Korea(2)
• Mongolia(22)
• Russia(17)