NEAR Chairperson KIM Doo-gyum has sent letters through the NEAR Secretariat to the leaders of each member region, extending an invitation for their participation at the upcoming 14th NEAR General Assembly scheduled for October 25.

With these letters, Mr. Kim conveys that the forthcoming October NEAR General Assembly will deliberate upon pivotal matters. These include the election of Liaoning Province as the upcoming NEAR chair, the inclusion of the Altai Republic of Russia as a new member, and the establishment of vital NEAR Subcommittee under NEAR’s purview. Specifically, these subcommittees encompass the Subcommittee on Digital Economy coordinated by Liaoning Province, and the Subcommittee on Energy Cooperation overseen by the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Particularly, Mr. Kim expresses the intention to bring together representatives from NEAR member regions in one place to devise plans for exchange and cooperation among Northeast Asian local governments. This collaborative effort will culminate in the issuance of the "Ulsan Declaration," founded upon on mutual trust and friendship.

Since assuming the role of NEAR chair in 2021, Ulsan Metropolitan City successfully hosted the 13th Working Committee (online) in September 2022. Renowned as the industrial capital of South Korea, the city is home to world-leading companies in sectors such as automobiles, heavy industries, petrochemicals, and non-ferrous metals. Recently, Ulsan has also been at the forefront of advanced industries like hydrogen, electric vehicles, and bio industries, holding promise for future development.