On 22 April 2026, a delegation led by Mr. YOOK Dong-il, President of Korea Research Institute for Local Administration (KRILA), visited SASS. Professor Gan Chunhui, Executive Vice-President of SASS, met with the delegation to exchange views on the digital economy, social security, demographic challenges such as declining birth rate and ageing population, and institutional cooperation.
Professor Gan noted that SASS has maintained close ties with South Korean universities and think tanks, and has carried out extensive cooperation in areas including industrial economics, regional security, and social welfare. In recent years, China has witnessed rapid development in artificial intelligence and the digital economy, while South Korea remains at the forefront of global digital innovation, creating broad prospects for future cooperation. He expressed his hope that the two institutions would strengthen exchanges and deepen cooperation on industrial development, the digital economy, digital technology, demographic change and urban governance.
Mr. YOOK introduced KRILA, explaining that its research focuses on the distribution of powers between the central and local governments, decentralization policies and local financial development. He noted that KRILA also contributes to the formulation of national strategies and supports the implementation of major government policy initiatives. He further outlined the Institute’s mission, organizational structure and key research areas, including balanced regional development. Mr. YOOK observed that although China and the Republic of Korea have both achieved remarkable economic progress, they also face many common challenges. He expressed the hope that the visit would provide an opportunity to deepen institutional cooperation with SASS.
