On February 20, NEAR Secretary-General LIM Byung-jin attended the Japan National Day Reception, graciously hosted by Consul-General OSCAR Tsuyoshi at the Paradise Hotel in Busan Metropolitan City, Korea. 

Mr. Lim expressed gratitude to Mr. Oscar for his steadfast support of NEAR. During the event, he engaged with Ambassadors SHIN Jae-hyun, PARK Cheol-min, and CHAE Jin-wen, for international affairs in Korean NEAR member regions, discussing NEAR's upcoming key initiatives such as the “Meet the Ambassadors” event, NEAR Working-level Workshop, and the High-Level Working Committee scheduled to be held in Shenyang, and encouraged their active involvement.

The National Day Reception commenced with Mr. Oscar's welcoming address, followed by former Busan Metropolitan Mayor HEO Nam-sik (current president of Shilla University), and a toast by Ambassador Shin Jae-hyun. The event saw the participation of over 300 guests from various sectors including politics, industry, education, and diplomatic corps from Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongnam-do, Gyeongbuk-do, and beyond. Furthermore, Japanese local governments showcased their specialties, including sake, through booths set up at the venue.