1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung Eui-yong met with members of the 6th Consultative Board of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) -- Secretary General Ou Boqian and Deputy Secretaries-General Bek Bum-hym and Sakata Natsuko -- on November 17. The Foreign Minister took note of trilateral cooperation, and the two sides exchanged views on potential future contributions by the TCS.

2. Foreign Minister Chung stated that even though Korea, China and Japan are neighboring countries, the three countries could have different opinions on some issues. However, he stressed that as the three countries share similar cultural backgrounds, they could overcome differences and move towards co-prosperity through constant cooperation.

° Foreign Minister Chung also highlighted that, as cooperation between countries will be more important than ever in the post-COVID-19 era, the three countries must gather efforts for cooperation. He also looked forward to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games to serve as an opportunity for trilateral cooperation to grow further.

° Foreign Minister Chung congratulated the TCS on marking the 10th anniversary of its establishment and expressed hope that a fresh momentum of trilateral cooperation will be built under the new Secretary General’s leadership.

3. Secretary General Ou and the other members of the TCS delegation extended appreciation to the Korean government for its support and asked for continuous attention and support of the Korean government in order for the TCS to become a key institutionalized cooperative body of Northeast Asia.

° The Secretary General added that the TCS will continue its efforts to maintain the momentum for trilateral cooperation by seeking out and implementing future-oriented cooperation projects in such areas as ensuring supply chain stability, digital economy and smart cities.