6th Trilateral Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS, Minister Chin Young) will foster cooperation on disaster prevention and response with Japan and China.

Kim Gye-jo, Vice Minister for Disaster and Safety Management of MOIS, hosted the 6th Trilateral Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management on December 5, inviting Taira Masaaki, State Minister for the Cabinet Office of Japan, and Shang Young, Vice minister of Emergency Management of China.

The first ministerial meeting took place in October 2009 in Japan as agreed at the 1st Trilateral Summit among Korea, China and Japan in December 2008. The biennial ministerial meeting, which is one of key cooperation mechanisms among the three countries, marks its 10th anniversary this year.

The representatives of the three countries adopted a joint statement, in which they agreed to promote information sharing on disasters, mutual learning of advanced disaster management system and exchanges of disaster and safety experts. The three sides will strengthen the trilateral cooperation mechanism on disaster management by sharing directions of disaster prevention policies, analyzing causes of major disasters and promoting information sharing on disaster prevention and reduction.

In addition, the three countries will create opportunities for learning on advanced disaster management systems deployed by each country, and explore ways to expand the exchange of disaster and safety experts among the three countries.

Prior to the ministerial meeting, MOIS signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in disaster management with the Ministry of Emergency Management of China on December 4 to strengthen the exchange and cooperation in the field of disaster and safety management.

Minister Chin Young said that “As Korea, Japan and China have extensive and far-reaching influence on one another due to geographical proximity and climate similarity, we need closer collaboration and partnership,” during the welcome dinner on December 4. “I hope the ministerial meeting will be a moment to look back on the past 10 years of cooperation and seek future vision of cooperation for the next 10 years to come,” he added.
In his opening remarks, Vice Minister for Disaster and Safety Management Kim Gye-jo noted that “I hope this year’s ministerial meeting will serve as an opportunity to bolster cooperation in disaster prevention and response among the three countries, marking the 10th anniversary of trilateral cooperation in disaster management.”