1. At the invitation of the Republic of Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a 6-member delegation of the People’s Republic of China will visit the ROK from December 3 till 7 for the 3rd ROK-China future-oriented exchange program 2018.

※ The Chinese delegation will be led by the Director-General of the Department of Foreign Affairs Management of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, which handles Chinese provincial governments’ external exchanges, and examines and ratifies China’s official trips to foreign countries, and be comprised of director-general-level officials from foreign affairs offices of Chinese provincial governments (Liaoning, Jiangsu and Shandong Provinces).

2. Pursuant to the agreement between the Presidents of the ROK and China, the ROK Foreign Ministry has held the invitation program for Chinese provincial governments’ middle-level officials since 1999. A visit to the ROK by a delegation consisting of director-general-level officials comes about three years after the last of its kind.

※ The ROK-China future-oriented exchange programs which took place in March and September this year were designed for director-level officials. The most recent visit to the ROK by a delegation comprised of director-general-level officials was in November 2015.

3. The Chinese delegation will pay a courtesy call on the Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, attend a dinner hosted by the Foreign Ministry, and visit Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul. The delegation will also engage in various activities to promote exchanges between the ROK and Chinese provincial governments, including a courtesy call on the Governor of Gangwon-do, a meeting with the Mayor of Gangneung, a meeting on exchanges with the Governors Association of Korea, and a visit to the Gyeonggi provincial government building.

4. The Chinese delegation’s visit to the ROK, which comes amid the recent progress in getting the ROK-China relations back on track, is expected to contribute to fostering ties between the two countries, and increasing exchanges between their provincial governments.

* unofficial translation