Bilateral meeting with Japan’s Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications… Discussion of autonomy, decentralization and balanced development
Vice Minister-level ‘Korea-Japan Officials Exchange Meeting’ resumes after 6 years
Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min held a ministerial-level bilateral meeting with Japanese Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Junji Suzuki on the 13th to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
This is the first visit by the Minister of Public Administration and Security to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in 16 years since October 2007.
The two countries agreed to maintain close communication to regularize exchanges and meetings between the Minister of Public Administration and Security and the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The Vice Minister-level ‘Korea-Japan Officials Exchange Meeting’, which began in 1991, was also decided to resume for the first time in six years and cooperate to solve common challenges of both countries, such as population decline, autonomy and decentralization, balanced development, and digitalization. People-to-people exchanges are also activated.
Minister Lee said, “Currently, Korea-Japan relations are becoming stronger than ever,” and added, “I hope that the Ministry of Public Administration and Security and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications will further strengthen mutual cooperation and exchange.”
Minister Suzuki said, “The improvement of bilateral relations is on track, with six Korea-Japan summits held this year,” and added, “I want to continue to develop the friendly and cooperative relationship we have built with the Korean government, including the Ministry of Public Administration and Security.”
Minister Lee also met with former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and former Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Hiroya Masuda to discuss responses to regional extinction and balanced development policies.
Former Prime Minister Suga was the first person to propose the introduction of the ‘hometown tax system’ during his term as Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications. The hometown love donation system, which was implemented for the first time in Korea this year, is a benchmark of the hometown tax payment system.
He said, “The current relationship between the two countries is in an unprecedentedly good situation, and exchanges between the government and the people should continue to expand,” and “It is important to introduce and learn from each other’s strengths through cooperation, as in the case of the hometown tax system.” emphasized.
In 2014, former Minister Masuda published the ‘Report on Local Disappearance’ while serving as chairman of the Japan Growth Association, which caused a great stir in Japanese society and led to a discussion on local extinction.
The report listed 896 Japanese regions likely to disappear by 2040 due to population outflow, as well as the serious problems facing Japan’s regions. He advised, “It is important for the central and local governments to cooperate and continuously develop creative and diverse policies rather than expecting measures to prevent local extinction to be effective in a short period of time.”
Minister Lee responded, “As the shuttle diplomacy between the leaders of Korea and Japan has been restored after 12 years, I hope that a future-oriented relationship will be established between the Ministry of Public Administration and Security and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications through this ministerial meeting.”
He went on to pledge, “Going forward, we will continue close policy cooperation between the two countries and realize a local era in which people can live comfortably anywhere in Korea through local decentralization and balanced development.”
[세종=뉴시스]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.