TCS

On April 22, 2024, Culture City of East Asia(CCEA) 2024 Gimhae Opening Ceremony was held at Gimhae Culture Center. The ceremony was hosted by Gimhae City and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of the ROK. Around 1,200 participants including the representatives from the 2024 CCEAs host cities, officials from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, individuals from the arts and culture industry, and Gimhae citizens attended the event. The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) was also invited to join the welcome reception and the opening ceremony.

At the welcome reception, TCS DSG ZUSHI Shuji delivered a toast remarks alongside other dignitaries including Gimhae Mayor HONG Tae yong and Consul General of China in Busan, CHEN Ribiao. DSG ZUSHI extended congratulations to Gimhae City as it commenced its journey as the CCEA for 2024. Emphasizing Gimhae City's historical and cultural significance as the heart of ancient Geumgwan Gaya on the Korean Peninsula and its deep connections with Japan, he expressed hopes for increased exchanges between Gimhae City and the TCS to further enhance cooperation among China, Japan, and Korea. 

During the opening ceremony, Mayor HONG Tae-yong highlighted how the unique cultures of China, Japan, and Korea have thrived through mutual embrace. He expressed hope for Gimhae City, along with its neighbors China and Japan, to extend the values of coexistence and peace globally. He also anticipated fostering greater unity among the three countries through diverse cultural exchanges to be organized throughout the year. Vice Mayor XU Lei of Weifang City, Vice Secretary-General ZHANG Xiaofeng of Dalian City, and Vice Mayor KOUNO Katsuya of Munakata City in Japan delivered congratulatory speeches. 

Following the speeches, traditional performances showcasing the cultures of each city were also staged to commemorate the opening of CCEA2024 Gimhae. 

*Since 2014, China, Japan, and the ROK have each designated one or two cities as CCEA, engaging in trilateral cultural exchanges annually following an agreement made at the 4th Trilateral Culture Ministers' Meeting (TCMM) in 2012. Weifang City and Dalian City of China, and Ishikawa Prefecture of Japan, were selected as CCEA for 2024 alongside Gimhae City. However, due to difficulties arising from the earthquake recovery efforts earlier in the year, Ishikawa Prefecture was unable to attend, and Munakata City, the sister city of Gimhae City, participated in the opening ceremony instead.