Culture ministers from Japan, China and South Korea have agreed to enhance cultural exchanges for young people and to cooperate in developing tourism content.
Japan's culture minister, Nagaoka Keiko, and her counterparts -- South Korea's Park Bo-gyoon and China's Hu Heping -- held talks in the South Korean city of Jeonju on Friday. It was the first in-person meeting of the countries' culture ministers in four years.
A joint declaration adopted at the meeting outlines ways to bolster exchanges and cooperation, especially among young people, to help resolve international challenges such as declining population and climate change.
It also pledges cooperation in using cultural and artistic resources to develop tourism content, with the aim of enhancing the image of East Asia among travelers.
Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture, China's Dalian and Weifang, and South Korea's Gimhae were chosen as next year's Culture Cities of East Asia.
The trilateral culture ministers' meeting is scheduled to take place in Japan next year.