Chey Tae-won, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and chairman of SK Group, stressed that Korea and Japan should solve issues such as changes in the global trade environment and low birthrates and aging populations together through a close alliance on par with the European Union (EU).
Chey said this at the 14th Korea-Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairmen's meeting held at the Shilla Jeju on the 8th, noting that "Korea and Japan face common challenges both at home and abroad."
"Korea and Japan must respond externally to the rapidly changing global trade environment and competition in advanced technologies, while internally we face a mountain of structural challenges to resolve, including low birthrates and aging populations and regional extinction," Chey said, adding, "It is time for the two countries to move beyond simple cooperation and design the future together through solidarity and coordination."
He also proposed specific measures for bilateral cooperation. Chey explained, "Korea and Japan, both highly dependent on energy, could jointly purchase energy, or share medical systems to respond to low birthrates and aging populations, thereby reducing economic and social expense." He added, "Like the EU's 'Schengen Agreement,' we could also consider activating tourism through travel without passports."
Chey has recently argued multiple times that Korea and Japan should embark on a powerful alliance at the level of integration. In an interview with the Yomiuri Shimbun on Sept. 22, he also said, "If Korea and Japan succeed in an economic integration alliance like the EU, they can rise to the world's No. 4 economic bloc after the United States, the EU, and China."
At the meeting, Chey again emphasized, "For cooperation to lead to tangible results rather than remain a slogan, we need the courage to gather ideas on which specific areas can deliver results and to experiment."