On March 11, JEONG Seong-eun, NEAR's new expert on English, received his letter of appointment from Secretary-General LIM Byung-jin and began working at the Secretariat.

Mr. Jeong obtained BA in Korean-English translation and interpretation from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and MA from the Graduate School of International Studies at Chung Ang University, who recently worked as an interpreter to assist in operating the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games held in Gangwon State in January. Mr. Jeong will be assigned to the International Cooperation Department of the NEAR Secretariat, where he will be responsible for promoting cooperation projects with current and potential associate members, managing the Youth Leaders Forum, conducting regional research, and providing English translation and interpretation.

Meanwhile, Ms. Kim Eunjung, who has served as the expert on English at the NEAR Secretariat since January 2022, resigned as of March 2024. Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin presented a letter of appreciation to Ms. Kim, recognizing all her hard work in developing the NEAR Secretariat.