The seminar was organized by KIEP and co-hosted by the Center for East Asian Peace and Cooperation at Ritsumeikan University (Japan) and the School of Northeast Asia Studies at Shandong University (China). The Chinese experts participated online while Korean and Japanese experts attended at the Kinugasa campus of Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan.

Vice President Sung-Chun Jung of KIEP said in his opening speech that the international political and trade environment, which is rapidly changing due to the 4th Industrial Revolution and intensifying strategic competition between the U.S. and China, is challenging economic cooperation in East Asia.

In particular, Vice President Jung explained the background of the seminar was held under the consensus that trilateral cooperation between Korea, China, and Japan, which have great political and economic influence in East Asia, is very important for cooperation in East Asia.

Sessions were held under the themes of "Global Great Transformation and East Asian Situation," "Korea-China-Japan Economic Cooperation in the Era of Economic Security," and "Global Great Transformation and East Asian Multilateral Cooperation."

Experts from Korea, China, and Japan reported formidable difficulties in the situation surrounding East Asia, but that the possibility of cooperation remains open, and agreed that it is necessary for experts from Korea, China, Japan and East Asia to gather wisdom and build mutual trust.