Secretary-General LIM Byung-jin visited the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) on January 23 and met with Secretary-General Lee Hee-sup to provide an overview of NEAR's major projects and activity plans for this year, and to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between the two organizations. 

Noting the shared ideology of common development and peace building through exchange and cooperation in the Northeast Asian region, Mr. Lim invited TCS to participate in major t NEAR events, including the NEAR High-level Working Committee, hosted by Liaoning Province, China, scheduled to be held in May.

In response, Mr. Lee expressed his appreciation for NEAR's role in intergovernmental cooperation in Northeast Asia and its ability to organize various events. He expressed his willingness to attend the NEAR High-level Working Committee, provided that there is no scheduling conflict. In addition, Mr. Lee displayed keen interest in the recently introduced initiatives by the NEAR Secretariat, namely NEAR Day and the NEAR Member Official Training Program. He voiced a strong desire to uphold a cooperative partnership with NEAR through ongoing communication and exchange in the future.

TCS is an international organization established in September 2011 to promote the common peace and prosperity of the three countries, namely China, Japan, and Korea, under an agreement signed and ratified by the governments of the three countries.