TCS

Deputy Secretary-General of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS), ZUSHI Shuji, attended the opening ceremony of the 23rd Japan–Korea–China TV Creators Forum held in Kitakyushu, Japan on December 9, 2025. The event brought together over 200–250 producers, broadcasters, and streaming professionals to explore collaborative initiatives in the rapidly evolving content industry.Since its establishment in 2001, the Forum has become a leading platform for cultural exchange and cooperation in the film and television sector in Northeast Asia. This year’s Forum was hosted by the All Japan TV Program Production Companies (ATP) and the Association of Broadcast Critics, co-organized with the City of Kitakyushu. The TCS supported the event this year as a cooperating organization.During the opening ceremony, DSG ZUSHI delivered remarks and emphasized the significance of convening the Forum in 2025, which marks both the 60th Anniversary of Japan–ROK Normalization and the Year of Japan-China-Korea Cultural Exchange. He stressed that cultural and people-to-people exchanges play a vital role in building mutual understanding and goodwill among younger generations—forming the foundation for long-term peace and co-prosperity in Northeast Asia.This year’s theme, “Broadcast & Streaming Content Business: Insights and Innovation from the Creators’ Perspective,” positioned the Forum as a creator-centered platform, with the aim of advancing global content development. Participants engaged in keynote lectures, presentations, panel discussions, and pitching sessions aimed at supporting new collaborative content initiatives.DSG ZUSHI reaffirmed the TCS’s commitment to further strengthening audiovisual cooperation among the three countries, including through youth-focused creative initiatives, and expressed hope that the discussions at the Forum would continue to foster new partnerships and advance regional cultural exchange.▲DSG ZUSHI delivering his remarks

On December 8, 2025, TCS Deputy Secretary-General Yan Liang met with Mr. Zha Yuxi, Party Secretary of Shandong University of Finance and Economics (SDUFE), and representatives of the university to discuss future cooperation. DSG Yan highly commended SDUFE for its proactive efforts in advancing international education and promoting cultural exchange among Chinese, Japanese, and Korean students. He noted that SDUFE’s commitment to fostering youth dialogue aligns closely with the TCS mandate to strengthen people-to-people exchange in the region. Mr. Zha and the delegation expressed their sincere appreciation for the TCS’s continuous support, noting that DSG Yan’s previous lecture at the campus had been warmly received by students and had sparked strong interest in trilateral cooperation. Both sides reaffirmed the shared view that deepening exchanges—particularly in youth engagement, academic collaboration, and joint research—will contribute meaningfully to enhancing mutual understanding among the three countries. Both sides agreed to maintain close communication and explore concrete cooperation opportunities moving forward.▲ Group Photo

On December 2, 2025, Deputy Commissioner LIM Sook-young of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) visited the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) and met with TCS Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup to discuss ways to enhance trilateral cooperation among Korea, China, and Japan in responding to the climate crisis and communicable diseases. The meeting followed SG LEE’s participation in the “Global Symposium & Roundtable on Climate Change and Health,” hosted by KDCA in November last year.Deputy Commissioner LIM highlighted that the health impacts of climate change, including the rise of climate-related infectious diseases, pose transboundary challenges requiring coordinated, multinational responses. She underscored the importance of establishing a joint response mechanism among the three countries. Echoing this, SG LEE emphasized the importance of sustainable development including through climate change response and public health, both of which are among the six priority cooperation areas endorsed at the 9th Trilateral Summit in May last year. He also reaffirmed TCS’ commitment to strengthening collaboration with KDCA in this field.Building on the outcomes of the 16th Tripartite Health Ministers’ Meeting and the 9th Trilateral Summit, both sides agreed to further advance cooperation by leveraging the Korea–Japan–China Forum for Communicable Disease Control and Prevent along with the Joint Symposium scheduled to be held in Korea in 2026 as key opportunities to deepen trilateral collaboration.▲SG Lee and Deputy Commissioner Lim▲Group Photo

The 9th Global Symposium on Low Fertility and Ageing took place on December 2–3, 2025, at the Plaza Hotel in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The symposium was co-hosted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Ministry of Data and Statistics of the Republic of Korea, with support from the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS). Distinguished participants included Dr. Aleksandar Sasha Bodiroza, Regional Director of UNFPA Asia and the Pacific; Yang Soon Pil, Director General of the Ministry of Data and Statistics; and Dr. Asa Torkelsson, Chief of the UNFPA Seoul Representation Office. TCS Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup also attended the event and delivered congratulatory remarks.In his address, SG LEE emphasized that low fertility and rapid population ageing have become pressing demographic challenges worldwide, particularly for China, Japan, and Korea—the world’s most rapidly ageing region. He noted that these trends will significantly influence economic potential, industrial structures, and welfare systems, underscoring the importance of policy dialogue and concerted action. Referencing recent discussions at the Trilateral Summit and the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, he highlighted the growing regional consensus on the need for cooperation in areas such as healthcare systems, long-term care, workforce training, and demographic research. SG LEE reaffirmed TCS’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with UNFPA, UNDP, and other institutions to advance joint solutions based on shared knowledge and practical collaboration.This year’s symposium focused on the theme “Rethinking old-age dependency and the engagement of older persons,” bringing together global experts to explore innovative approaches to ageing societies and the active participation of older generations. TCS has continued its support for the symposium since 2023, contributing to regional efforts to promote sustainable development and coordinated policy responses to demographic change.▲SG LEE delivering congratulatory remarks▲Group Photo