The Secretariat of the Association of Northeast Asia Regional Governments (NEAR), led by Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin, held the '2026 NEAR Youth Policy Forum' on the 9th at the Gyeongju Hwabaek Convention Center (HICO).

The forum was held as part of the collaborative programs for the '2026 World Gyeongju Forum'. It was hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, organized by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE), and supported by Gyeongsangbuk-do Province and Gyeongju City as partner organizations.

A total of 57 youths from 6 countries participated in the forum. The attendees included Korean youths selected nationwide, Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian, Russian, and Vietnamese youths studying in South Korea, and 8 students from Xi'an International Studies University who visited from Shaanxi Province, China. Presenters included youth policy and exchange officials from NEAR member local governments and affiliated organizations, such as the Youth Federation of Shaanxi Province (China), Shimane Prefecture (Japan), Gyeongsangbuk-do (South Korea), Töv Province (Mongolia), and Tomsk Oblast (Russia).

Session 1 was held under the theme of "Introduction to Local Government Youth Policies and NEAR-Linked Cooperation Measures." Officials from member governments and affiliated organizations across five countries presented their respective regional youth policies and exchange cases.

Jia Jianfeng, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shaanxi Provincial Youth Federation secretariat in China, introduced Shaanxi's policies supporting all aspects of youth life, including employment, entrepreneurship, housing, cultural life, and talent development. Matsuo Shuichiro, Director of the Cultural and International Affairs Division of Shimane Prefecture, Japan, explained Shimane's long-standing international youth exchange initiatives.

Son Dong-gwang, Chairman of the Gyeongsangbuk-do Youth Policy Coordination Committee, shared his experience of reflecting youth voices in policies and proposed ways to expand this into Northeast Asian youth exchanges. Munkhtsetseg Altantsetseg, a teacher from Töv Province, Mongolia, introduced the challenges faced by Mongolian youths—such as education, jobs, and housing—along with relevant policies. Maria Andolshik, a board member of the Tomsk Oblast branch of the All-Russian socio-state movement of children and youth "Movement of the First" from Tomsk Oblast, Russia, introduced activities supporting youth growth, social participation, and international exchange by leveraging Tomsk's characteristics as a university city.

Session 2 was moderated by Choi Eun-mi, Senior Research Fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, under the theme of "Youth Cultural Exchange in the Digital Era." Youth representatives from the 6 countries proposed ways to expand inter-country and inter-regional communication, cultural exchanges, and participation in international exchanges utilizing digital technologies. Afterwards, a comprehensive discussion and Q&A session were held to discuss the future direction of regional youth policies and exchanges.

During the forum, an awards ceremony for the '2026 NEAR Gyeongbuk Travel Essay Contest' was also held. The contest was organized by the NEAR Secretariat targeting youths from member governments currently studying in South Korea.

In his opening remarks, NEAR Secretary-General Lim Byung-jin emphasized, "Even amidst rapidly changing global and Northeast Asian situations and intensifying conflicts and checks between nations, exchanges and cooperation between local governments and youths must continue." He added, "Youth policies go beyond mere social welfare programs supporting the younger generation; they are a core future investment strategy that determines the sustainability of a nation and society." He further stated, "Youth exchange is a precious asset for future cooperation between countries and regions. NEAR will continue to expand and persistently support such platforms for youth exchange."

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