Transport and Covid-19: responses and resources

Secretary-General leads ITF outreach to Far East Asia

Secretary-General Young Tae Kim led an ITF delegation on a high-level visit to Korea and Japan in December as part of the ITF's strategic outreach to Asia. The Far East Asia mission comes after the first-ever ITF High-level Regional Dialogue on Transport for Asia, held in Bangkok, Thailand, on 22 November.

In Korea, Young Tae Kim discussed further co-operation with Hee-ryong Won, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Vice-Minister Myeong-so EO. Korea has provided the seed funding for ITF's new Mobility Innovation Hub, which helps governments to develop innovative policies for better transport in the face of uncertainty and rapid change. A seminar with Korean ITF Transport Research Committee members allowed a presentation of ITF's research activities,and upcoming projects and to share ideas on further engagement and co-operation.

Dr Kim met with Korean Corporate Partnership Board (CPB) members to discuss joint activities. The mission provided the opportunity to celebrate Hyundai Motors Corporation's joining the CPB during a signing ceremony with senior leadership of Hyundai, one of the world's leading automotive manufacturers.

A conference on the mobility transition, organised jointly with the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (KOTSA), was followed by a special session with presentations on job opportunities at the ITF and OECD. 

The mission will allow for continued and enhanced partnerships with many Korean stakeholders through joint projects, the ITF Summit and beyond. The meetings, debates and increased ITF visibility in Korea will help the organisation to expand its efforts to reach new partners and hold other impactful high-level events.

A highlight of the visit to long-standing ITF member country Japan was a meeting with Tesuo Saito, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Tourism of Japan (photo). Secretary-General Kim also met with Takeshi Uchiyamada, Chairman of the Board of Toyota Motor Corporation. Toyota is a long-standing member of the ITF Corporate Partnership Board.

Further meetings with Japanese companies included bilaterals with senior representatives of Japanese companies, including All Nippon Airways (ANA), JR East Railways and Whill, a manufacturer of personal mobility products.

During the mission, the Secretary-General also reached out to the region's transport research community. He held talks with senior representatives of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS), the Japan Transport and Tourism Research Institute (JTTRI), and the Policy Research Institute for Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (PRILITT). Dr Kim also provided a keynote speech at a joint EASTS-ITF special seminar on "Prospects for Transport Decarbonisation in a Rapidly Changing Environment". The conference presented the ITF's latest policy research and initiatives. The Japanese version of the ITF Transport Outlook 2021 was published during the event and actively promoted during bilateral meetings.

Young Tae Kim also visited several sites related to digitalisation and inclusion initiatives in the transport sector in Tokyo and Osaka. He also met with the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA).

See photos from the Korea mission

See photos from the Japan mission

Stay up-to-date with the Secretary-General's 2023 programme via his official Twitter channel

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