On September 21, a delegation from the NEAR Secretariat led by WOO Dae-Beom, director of the Planning and Public Relations Department, embarked on a mission to Chungcheongbuk-do and Sejong Special Self-Governing City. Their primary objective was to promote NEAR, foster collaboration with Korean NEAR members, and bolster NEAR’s presence.

During their visit, the delegation engaged in discussions with KWAK Tae-yeol, ambassador for international relations in Chungcheongbuk-do. They introduced NEAR's initiatives and extended an invitation to the 14th NEAR General Assembly scheduled in Ulsan from September 24 to 26. Mr. Kwak commended NEAR for its pivotal role in facilitating cooperation among local governments. He expressed his eagerness to actively engage in the forthcoming NEAR events.

Furthermore, in Sejong, the delegation met with JANG Jasmine, officer of external cooperation of Sejong Special Self-Governing City. The delegation introduced NEAR and elaborated on the key projects for the current year. Both parties agreed to enhance international exchange and cooperation projects by leveraging the NEAR platform.

Chungcheongbuk-do is a proud founding member of NEAR, which was established in 1996, and it currently operates the Subcommittee on Biomedical Industry. Sejong Special Self-Governing City joined NEAR upon its launch in 2012.