The Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) held the 11th International Symposium on Agricultural and Rural Development in Northeast Asia jointly with Pusan National University and Chonbuk National University at the institute’s main conference room on August 27. The attendees included KREI President Choi Sei-kyun and researchers from KREI, the two universities, Japan and China.

In the event, the participants agreed that Korea, China and Japan should reform their rice industry’s structure and that the three countries need cooperation through various channels. The symposium consisted of presentations and discussions on the current state and tasks of each nation’s rice industry.

The three Northeast Asian countries’ agriculture has similar problems in paddy farming including rice in the process of rapid globalization. This event focused on discussions about these issues.

The 12th symposium will be hosted by Tokyo University of Agriculture on the theme of “Globalization and New Development and Tasks of the Northeast Asian Food System” in August 2015.