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Industry ministers of Korea, China, Japan to hold 1st trilateral meeting in 5 years

Published: 27 Mar. 2025, 16:41 Updated: 27 Mar. 2025, 19:05

Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun speaks during a public-private meeting on U.S. tariff issues in Seoul on March 12. [YONHAP]

A trilateral meeting of the industry ministers of Korea, China and Japan will take place for the first time in five years next week, Seoul's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Thursday.

The meeting will be held in Seoul on Sunday, involving Korean Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Japanese Trade Minister Yoji Muto, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

It will mark the first time since December 2019 that the industry ministers of the three nations will hold a trilateral meeting. The last one was held in Beijing.

In the upcoming meeting, the three sides are expected to discuss a proposed trilateral free trade agreement, improving the regional comprehensive economic partnership (RCEP) and supply chain cooperation.

RCEP is one of the world's biggest free trade agreements, with its 15 member nations accounting for around 30 percent of the global gross domestic product, population and trade volume.

Ahn is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Wentao and Muto on the sidelines of the three-way meeting, according to the ministry.

Yonhap