On June 27,16 trainees from China, Mongolia, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan participating in the 2025 NEAR Member Government Officials Training Program visited the NEAR Secretariat under the guidance of Lee Sang-ho, Director of the Institute for International Development Cooperation at Yeongnam University. During their visit, they toured the Secretariat and attended a meeting with NEAR Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin,
Secretary-General Lim stated that the Member Government Officials Training Program was held again this year, due to the high levels of satisfaction expressed by last year's participants and the continued requests from member governments. He expressed hope that the training program would cover Korea’s successful cases of regional development, including the Saemaul Undong (New Village Movement), digital economy, regional economic revitalization, and urban development, adding that it would be beneficial to member governments.
He also shared recent developments at NEAR, including the expansion of its membership and associate membership, as well as the growing activation of various events hosted by the Secretariat. He encouraged participants to maintain their interest in and support for NEAR after returning to their home countries and to become ambassadors for the organization.
During the meeting, the trainees expressed their gratitude to the NEAR Secretariat for carefully preparing and hosting the program. Futhermore, they noted their high satisfaction with the lectures organized by Yeongnam University.
In response, Secretary-General Lim said, “When completing the satisfaction survey for this training program, please provide honest feedback and detailed suggestions so that we can actively incorporate them into next year’s program.”.
Additionally, on June 30, the trainees visited the Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Government, where they attended a meeting presided over by Oh Tae-heon, Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs and Trade,and received a briefing on the overall situation of Gyeongsangbuk-do.
The presentation covered the province’s industrial, cultural, and tourism resources, strategies for attracting foreign tourists, and policies supporting depopulated areas. The trainees especially expressed their appreciation for Gyeongbuk’s contributions and leadership within NEAR.
Meanwhile, the completion ceremony was held on July 2 with the attendance of Lee Sang-ho, Director of the Institute for International Development Cooperation at Yeongnam University. The ceremony featured the presentation of Action Plans, the key outcome of the training program, and the award for the best team was presented to the joint team from Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. Ms. Huang Mingying was recognized as the Outstanding Trainee.
The training program was held over 10 days, from June 25 to July 4, and included cultural exploration activities such as visits to Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Museum of Korea, Cheonggyecheon Stream, Seoul City Hall, and Deoksugung Palace.