Korea, Japan seek new chapter in 40 years of tourism ties

Korea and Japan are commemorating four decades of tourism collaboration this week through talks in Mokpo. The objective is to transform their extensive history of exchanges into stronger regional partnerships. The 40th Korea-Japan Tourism Promotion Council and Korea-Japan Tourism Business Forum are being held at Hotel Hyundai by Lahan Mokpo.

These events, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, will gather around 100 government, tourism, and aviation officials from both nations. The council was established in 1986, alternating between Korea and Japan, with a brief interruption in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Leading the Korean delegation is Kang Jeong-won, the head of tourism policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, while Ken Sasaji, director-general of international tourism at the Japan Tourism Agency, heads the Japanese delegation.

The officials are focusing on broadening tourism between Korea and Japan while also working alongside each other to draw visitors from beyond the region. In addition, the two sides intend to sign an agreement expressing their commitment to a memorandum of cooperation on tourism, aiming for a more stable institutional framework for their future interactions.