Fifty Japanese Teachers Visit Korea on a “Grand Slam” Tour: Touching Bases on Education, Industry, Policymaking, and Culture
- The 4th Korea-Japan High School Teachers’ Exchange Program1) was held on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan -
1) The Korea-Japan High School Teachers’ Exchange Program offers teachers firsthand opportunity to experience the other country’s education, economy, and culture. A goal of the program is for teachers to take their experiences in their counterpart countries back to their students. As one of the closest, most influential figures to students, one teacher’s experience can potentially reach a multitude of students. As such, the teacher exchange program builds a foundation for a future-oriented Korea-Japan relations, based on an accurate understanding of the other country among youth in each other’s countries. Under this goal, the 1st and 3rd teacher exchange programs were conducted in January 2024 and 2025, that enabled 50 Korean high school teachers to visit Japan. The 2nd teacher exchange program was conducted in August 2024, with 50 Japanese teachers visiting Korea.
(Seoul, August 28, 2025) — The Korea-Japan Future Partnership Fund (“The Fund,” Chairman Jin Roy Ryu, also Chairman of FKI) announced that the 4th Korea-Japan High School Teachers’ Exchange Program is being held from August 17-22, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan.
Fifty Japanese high school teachers from across Japan were selected to join the exchange program. Starting with a welcoming reception on August 18, the visiting Japanese teachers will engage in various activities, including visits to Korean high schools, a learning tour of the National Assembly, industrial site visits, cultural tours, and expert lectures.
Notably, the teachers will also have a quintessential Korean experience, including enjoying chimaek (Chicken+beer) at a professional baseball game, attending a classical performance (Conductor Nan-sae Geum), and taking learning tours that feature Korea’s cutting-edge technologies.
The Welcoming Reception: The teachers from both countries reaffirm their commitments to the education of future generations
Chang-beom Kim, vice chairman and CEO of FKI: “Your guidance is key in shaping the next generation of Korea-Japan relations”
The Welcoming Reception was held at the FKI Conference Center in Yeouido, Seoul, on August 18. Participants included the Japanese delegation of teachers and Korean teachers that visited Japan during the 3rd teacher’s exchange. While enjoying the welcoming dinner, the teachers shared a common understanding that as educators, their role transcends borders and languages.
Chang-beom Kim, vice chairman and CEO of FKI, in his opening remarks stated: “This year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan... The role of teachers are crucial, as you are the closest mentors to Korean and Japanese youth that will advance Korea-Japan relations in the future.” He added, “I hope that the networks that are formed on this occasion will serve as a bridge that connects our two countries’ future generations.”
The welcoming reception was attended by key figures in Korea-Japan relations, including officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Japan to the Republic of Korea.
Japanese teachers visit two Korean high schools in the metropolitan area... A Japanese teacher from last year’s exchange program remarked: “Korea’s two-way interaction in the classroom and the use of IT devices are notable”
The Japanese teacher delegation will visit the Incheon International High School on August 19 and the Ewha Womans University High School in Seoul on August 21.
The Japanese teachers will engage in dialogue with Korean teachers, attend observational classes, and tour the school facilities. A Japanese teacher that attended the prior year’s exchange program remarked: “I was impressed by the active two-way interaction between teachers and students at Korean schools. Their active use of IT devices, such as tablet PCs and electronic blackboards, was also notable. I believe that this year’s visit will provide Japanese teachers with a first-hand opportunity to experience Korean classroom settings and measure it alongside Japanese classrooms.”
A learning tour of the National Assembly: Democracy is a common value among Koreans and the Japanese
Chairman Ho-young Joo (Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly): “I hope that this learning tour will lead to friendships across future generations”
The delegation of Japanese teachers visited the National Assembly on August 18, taking this opportunity to observe democracy—a shared value among the two countries—in action and to expand their understanding of Korean political institutions and legislature.
Chairman Ho-young Joo addressed the Japanese delegation of teachers: “Korea and Japan are key partners and close neighbors that hold democracy and freedom as key values. I hope that your students can benefit from your visit to the National Assembly, when you take this experience back to your classrooms. Through this visit, I look forward to a deeper, mutual understanding between our two countries’ future generations.”
A deep-dive into AI, a quintessential baseball stadium chimek experience, and the grand finale: a Korea-Japan philharmonic performance conducted by Nan-sae Geum
The Japanese teachers’ delegation visited LG Science Park on August 18 and will visit Toray Advanced Materials Korea (Aug. 19) and the Lotte Memorial Hall Museum (Aug. 20) to help form a more accurate understanding of the Korean economy and to experience Korea’s technologies, such as AI.
The teachers will also have a chance to experience Korean traditional crafts and a professional baseball game (Lotte Giants vs LG Twins) on August 20. Baseball is a favorite pasttime in both countries and the teachers will have a chance to enjoy a quintessentially Korean experience of enjoying baseball while having chimaek (Chicken+beer) at the baseball stadium.
On August 21, the teachers will attend a classical performance specially prepared by Yoon Kim, chairman of Samyang Group, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations. This performance was conducted by Nan-sae Geum and prepared in honor of the teachers who—by shaping the next generation of youth in Korea and Japan—will influence Korea-Japan relations throughout the next 60 years. The harmonious music by the New World Chamber Orchestra, lead by Korea’s top conductor Nan-sae Geum, and young artists from both countries will be symbolic of the valuable cooperation between Korea and Japan. Through this visit, the Japanese teachers will have an opportunity to experience the various facets of Korea’s culture, including traditional culture, the dynamic sports culture, and classical performances—which is also ascending to global acclaim.
Expert lectures are also part of the exchange program, with Professor Sangkyun Kim of Kyunghee University giving a lecture on “The AI Era and the Future of Education” and Professor Min Hyo Cho of Sungkyunkwan University delivering a lecture on low birth rates and the aging society—a common societal issue in both Korea and Japan—on August 18. The lectures aim to help understand Korean education as Korea prepares to move into an era of AI. The lectures also explore cooperative measures between Korea and Japan, targeting common issues in both countries that will be faced by the future generation.
The Korea-Japan Future Partnership Fund: “We will continue to sustain our efforts in establishing future-oriented Korea-Japan relations”
A representative of the Korea-Japan Future Partnership Fund commented on the 4th Korea-Japan High School Teachers’ Exchange Program: “We look forward to the delegation of Japanese teachers giving an accurate account of what they saw and felt in Korea. With the teachers’ help, we hope that the students will be motivated toward helping establish Korea-Japan relations that are oriented toward the future.”
The Partnership Fund will continue its efforts to strengthen the future-looking bilateral partnership, including by holding events that underscore the importance of the future relations between the two countries on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan.
※ [Attachment]
1. Key Events: The Delegation of Japanese High School Teachers’ Visit to Korea
2. Overview of the Welcoming Reception