TCS

The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) announced the launch of the “CJK Word of the Year 2026” voting campaign, co-hosted with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (ROK MOFA). This annual initiative aims to promote mutual understanding and cultural affinity among the peoples of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea by selecting a symbolic word that best represents trilateral cooperation. The online voting will be open from October 20 to November 20, 2025. Citizens of the three countries can choose one out of six candidate —Mutual Benefit (互惠/互惠/호혜), Friendship (友好/友好/우호), Trust (信赖/信頼/신뢰), Understanding (理解/理解/이해), Embracement (包容/包容/포용), and Promotion·Acceleration (促进/促進/촉진)—and the selected “CJK Word of the Year 2026” will be officially announced on January 1, 2026.For more information on how to participate in the campaign, please visit the official voting website (https://cjkword.tcs-asia.org/). After the voting period concludes, selected participants will receive giveaway prizes through a lucky draw.In the previous campaign, “Future (未来/미래)” was chosen as the CJK Word of the Year 2025, reflecting people’s common wish to build a hopeful future together. The selection carried special meaning as it coincided with the “2025–2026 Year of China-Japan-Korea Cultural Exchange.” In 2024, the word “Exchange (交流/교류)” was selected, and in 2023, “Harmony (和合/화합)” was chosen.Marking its fourth edition this year, the “CJK Word of the Year” campaign has become one of TCS’s signature public projects, encouraging communication and mutual understanding among citizens of the three countries through the Chinese characters. TCS will continue to promote friendship and cooperation among the peoples of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea by fostering shared values that bridge cultures and borders.

On October 13, 2025, Deputy Secretary-General YAN Liang met with DUAN Yong, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai University, at the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) office. YAN Liang highlighted Shanghai University’s geographic and academic strengths, noting that Shanghai, as an international city, has attracted numerous Korean and Japanese visitors following the introduction of the visa-free policy, thereby helping to enhance people-to-people exchanges among the three countries. He expressed hope that Shanghai University could leverage its strengths to further advance Trilateral Cooperation. DUAN Yong emphasized the university’s high level of internationalization, with a large number of foreign students and faculty members. He expressed his willingness for Shanghai University to actively participate in Trilateral Cooperation in the future, particularly by utilizing its expertise in robotics, underwater archaeology, and aging research.

Anseong, October 12, 2025 – Anseong City successfully hosted the closing ceremony of the Culture City of East Asia (CCEA) 2025 – Anseong on October 12 at Anseong Machum Hall. The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS), as a key partner of CCEA was invited to attend both the reception and the closing ceremony.The ceremony featured a rich lineup of performances, including Korea’s traditional Namsadang Baudeogi Pungmulnori, cultural showcases by representatives from Macao and Kamakura, and a drone show with 1,000 drones lighting up the night sky. Thousands of Anseong residents and visitors gathered to celebrate the culmination of this year-long cultural event.Since 2014, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea have each designated a city annually as a Culture City of East Asia (CCEA), following an agreement reached at the 4th Trilateral Culture Ministers’ Meeting (TCMM) in 2012. For 2025, Anseong was selected as Culture City of East Asia alongside Huzhou and Macao in China, and Kamakura in Japan.▲Group Photo▲Korean Traditional Performance

The 2025 Korea-China-Japan International Symposium among Museums of Capital Cities & Museum Night was held on September 30, 2025 at the Seoul Museum of History under the theme “The Future Sustainability of City Museums.” Co-hosted by the Seoul Museum of History, the Capital Museum of Beijing, the Edo-Tokyo Museum, and the Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum, the event brought together experts, curators, and youth from the three countries. The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) joined the event as an official supporter, contributing to its success from the Symposium to the evening Museum Night program.During the Symposium, TCS Deputy Secretary-General YAN Liang delivered congratulatory remarks, emphasizing the role of museums in enhancing mutual understanding among the three countries and underscoring the importance of digital innovation, youth engagement, and education for sustainable development. The symposium featured presentations from the four co-host museums on topics including creator training, AI docent systems, digitization, community engagement, and youth-oriented narratives, and concluded with a trilateral youth session.At the evening program, Museum Night: YOUTH & CULTURE, held in the museum courtyard, TCS Secretary-General LEE Heesup offered a toast celebrating the spirit of cultural exchange and youth engagement, marking the culmination of a day of dialogue and networking. For the first time, a dedicated Youth Program was organized as a side event, with TCS providing strong support for the recruitment and participation of young delegates from Korea, China, and Japan. Participants joined the Youth Urban Creators Workshop, producing creative works that reflected diverse interpretations of Seoul, and also took part as supporters in managing the joint promotion booth supported by TCS in collaboration with the Chinese and Japanese Cultural Centers in Seoul. Their involvement brought fresh perspectives and contributed meaningfully to discussions on the future sustainability of museums, while underscoring the next generation’s role in advancing trilateral cultural cooperation. The promotion booths will remain open to the public until October 5, 2025.▲DSG Yan’s Congratulatory Remarks at the Symposium▲Youth Session▲SG Lee’s Toast Remarks at the Museum Night▲Promotional Booth