On July 31, the NEAR Secretariat held the opening ceremony of the 2023 NEAR Young Leaders Forum using an innovative Metaverse format, bringing together 113 young leaders from China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia, and Vietnam.

The opening ceremony featured opening remarks by Secretary-General LIM Byung-jin. It was followed by a warm welcome extended by PARK Enna, former ambassador to the UK and the current chairperson of the 2030 Busan World Expo Bid Committee. Additionally, congratulatory remarks were offered by TCS Secretary-General OU Boqian, CHEN Ribiao, Chinese consul-general in Busan, DUDNIK Oxsana, Russian consul-general in Busan, and Tsogtoo Unurzaya, Mongolian consul-general in Busan.

Following the congratulatory remarks, an engaging icebreaker game was organized, designed to gauge participant’s understanding of the geography, culture, and history of the six countries. The schedule for the NEAR Young Leaders Forum 2023 was introduced during this event.

The NEAR Young Leaders Forum 2023 will be held for two weeks, starting on July 31 and ending on August 11. The first week will be dedicated to forum preparations. The second week will be spent debating on the theme of international exchange and cooperation. These debates will encompass four sessions conducted in English and two sessions in Korean. A panel of three esteemed judges will evaluate the discussions, culminating in the selection of the most distinguished forum teams. Two English teams and one Korean team will be honored as winners. These successful teams will be extended an invitation to a three-day, four-night visit to Korea, affording them the opportunity to gain firsthand experience within the secretariat.