On March 26, Secretary-General LIM Byung-jin and staff members from the NEAR Secretariat met in Seoul with a delegation from Liaoning Province led by Deputy Governor JIN Guowei. They exchanged opinions on issues of mutual interest.

Mr. Lim welcomed the Liaoning delegation and provided a detailed explanation of NEAR and the current state of affairs at the NEAR Secretariat. In addition, he stated that the NEAR Secretariat's position on the issues regarding the establishment of the Subcommittee on the Digital Economy coordinated by Liaoning Province within NEAR, the proposal of the next NEAR chair to be accepted by Liaoning Province, and the expansion of exchange between Liaoning Province and Korean NEAR members.

In response, Deputy Governor Jin congratulated Mr. Lim on his appointment as Secretary-General. Mr. Jin added that this meeting was an opportunity for him to gain new insights into NEAR and that Liaoning Province would further strengthen its exchange and cooperation with NEAR in the years to come. Moreover, Mr. Jin explained the current status and development plan of Liaoning Province’s digital economy promotion and expressed his intention to seek joint development through exchange and cooperation with NEAR members as well as through the operation of the Subcommittee on the Digital Economy. He also stated that he would positively consider the proposals made by the NEAR Secretariat. 

For the first time in years since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the overseas delegation from Liaoning Province visited Korea and Japan. The delegation visited the Korean National Assembly, Chinese Embassy in Korea, Gyeonggi-do Provincial Office, and Korea-China Exchange Association, etc. In addition, they held Liaoning-Korea Economic Trade and Exchange Seminar and visited companies as well. 

The meeting was attended by 13 representatives from Liaoning Province, including Deputy Secretary SUN FanBo, Director LUO Li of the Foreign Affairs Office, Deputy Director HUANG Yang of the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, and Deputy Director LI Jun of the Provincial Department of Commerce. From the NEAR Secretariat, five staff members, including WOO Dae-beom, director of the planning and public relations department, and CHOI Ju-hwa, director of the international cooperation department attended the meeting.