Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS)

What Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) does

The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea, established in May 2011 by China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea to promote lasting peace, common prosperity, and shared culture among the three East Asian nations. TCS is the only permanent secretariat facilitating tripartite CJK cooperation, and it coordinates the Trilateral Summit, 21 ministerial-level meetings, and over 70 consultative mechanisms spanning politics, economics, culture, and social affairs. The organization is jointly funded and governed by the three member governments and operates with a lean staff of approximately 21 employees led by Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup and Deputy Secretaries-General ZUSHI Shuji and YAN Liang.

TCS does not develop proprietary technology products. Its operational footprint consists of a portfolio of programs, digital platforms, and publications rather than a unified software offering. Core digital assets include the Statistics Hub (data.tcs-asia.org), a data portal presenting trilateral economic, demographic, and trade indicators; the Trilateral Youth Engagement Network (tyen.tcs-asia.org), a youth platform; and the International Forum for Trilateral Cooperation (IFTC). Recurring programs include the Trilateral Youth Speech Contest (TYSC), the Trilateral Young Rural Leaders' Exchange Program (TREP), the Trilateral Innovation Exchange in STEM, the Trilateral Entrepreneurs Forum, the Trilateral Journalist Exchange Program, the CJK FTA Seminar, the Young Scholars Forum, and the Young Ambassador Program. Publication outputs include the annual Trilateral Economic Report, Annual Reports, and Progress Reports, distributed in multiple languages. TCS does not generate commercial revenue; participation in TCS events is typically free for eligible participants from member states, and operations are sustained by government contributions.

Name

Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS)

Legal name

Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat

Website

https://tcs-asia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Seoul, established in 2011 by China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea to coordinate trilateral cooperation across diplomatic, economic, cultural, and people-to-people domains through summits, ministerial meetings, and exchange programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intergovernmental Cooperation Services

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), International Affairs (928120)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Multilateral Diplomacy & International Representation (UN, Regional Bodies) (BPAIAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Economic & Trade Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAC)

Keywords

• Intergovernmental cooperation
• Trilateral diplomacy
• Regional cooperation
• Youth exchange programs
• Multilateral forums

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) facilitates cooperation among China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea through summits, ministerial-level meetings, consultative mechanisms, and people-to-people exchange programs. It operates the Statistics Hub, Youth Platform, and International Forum for Trilateral Cooperation, runs programs such as the Trilateral Youth Speech Contest, Trilateral Young Rural Leaders' Exchange Program, and Trilateral Innovation Exchange in STEM, and publishes the Trilateral Economic Report, Annual Reports, and Progress Reports.

Product overview

The Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) is an intergovernmental organization facilitating cooperation among China, Japan, and Korea. Rather than a unified software product, TCS offers a portfolio of programs, platforms, and publications. The core offerings include: the Statistics Hub (data portal for trilateral statistics), Youth Platform (youth engagement), and International Forum. TCS's program portfolio encompasses the Trilateral Youth Speech Contest, Trilateral Young Rural Leaders' Exchange Program (TREP), Trilateral Innovation Exchange in STEM, Trilateral Entrepreneurs Forum, Trilateral Journalist Exchange Program, CJK FTA Seminar, Young Scholars Forum, and Young Ambassador Program. Publication offerings include the Trilateral Economic Report (annual), Annual Reports, and Progress Reports. The organization focuses on diplomatic, economic, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges among the three nations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Statistics Hub An online data portal (data.tcs-asia.org) providing trilateral statistics on economic, demographic, and trade indicators for China, Japan, and Korea, including mechanisms, documents, and cooperation summaries. Intended for researchers, policymakers, and the public.
• Youth Platform (TYEN) A dedicated youth engagement platform (tyen.tcs-asia.org) supporting youth exchange programs and activities among China, Japan, and Korea. Targeted at young professionals, students, and emerging leaders.
• International Forum for Trilateral Cooperation (IFTC) An annual international forum (iftc.tcs-asia.org) bringing together participants to discuss trilateral cooperation topics across politics, economics, culture, and social affairs.
• Trilateral Youth Speech Contest (TYSC) An annual speech contest for young people from China, Japan, and Korea to promote multilingual exchange and cultural understanding, held in C.J.K Specialist and CJK Challenger categories.
• Trilateral Young Rural Leaders' Exchange Program (TREP) An exchange program for young rural leaders from trilateral countries and ASEAN nations launched in 2023 to share experiences in agriculture, sustainable development, and rural tourism.
• Trilateral Innovation Exchange in STEM A four-day program for young STEM professionals from China, Japan, and Korea focused on open innovation and next-generation talent development, supported by Nagoya University and UNITAR.
• Trilateral Entrepreneurs Forum A forum connecting entrepreneurs from China, Japan, and Korea to foster business cooperation and economic exchange.
• Trilateral Journalist Exchange Program An exchange program for journalists from the three countries to enhance media cooperation and understanding.
• CJK FTA Seminar A seminar focusing on Free Trade Agreement issues and economic cooperation among China, Japan, and Korea.
• Young Scholars Forum A forum for young scholars to discuss and research trilateral cooperation topics.
• Young Ambassador Program A program developing future leaders and ambassadors for trilateral cooperation.
• Trilateral Economic Report Annual economic report analyzing economic trends, trade relations, and cooperation between China, Japan, and Korea, available in multiple languages.
• Annual Reports Annual reports documenting TCS activities, achievements, and organizational developments.
• Progress Reports Reports tracking the progress of trilateral cooperation across various sectors and mechanisms.

Quantifiable outcome

• Coordinated establishment of trilateral cooperation framework across 3 major East Asian economies representing 20% of world population and 23.4% of world GDP
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and major.

• Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Tokyo)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 July 2026Ms. Gillian LAM, Principal Representative, visited TCS on July 24, 2026, to exchange views with Secretary-General LEE Hee-sup and explore potential cooperation areas. The visit discussed Hong Kong SAR's role as an international business platform and its Northern Metropolis initiative.
• Jeju Special Self-Governing ProvincemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 July 2026Co-organized the 4th Trilateral Young Rural Leader's Exchange Program (TREP) in Jeju, Republic of Korea, from July 21-24, 2026. Approximately 30 young rural leaders and government officials from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Laos participated in the four-day program focused on agricultural heritage conservation and sustainable rural development.
• Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation (HUFS GSIT)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2026Co-host of the 5th Trilateral Youth Speech Contest held in Seoul on July 10, 2026. The partnership brings together 18 outstanding young speakers from China, Japan, and Korea for a multilingual speech competition under the theme 'Our Culture, Our Story: China, Japan and Korea.'
• Nagoya UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2026Co-organized the 2026 Trilateral Innovation Exchange in STEM held in Nagoya, Japan, from July 7-10, 2026. Fifteen young STEM professionals from China, Japan, and Korea participated in the four-day program under the theme 'Trilateral Exchange for Cultivating Next-Generation Innovators with Open Innovation.'
• United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2026Supported the 2026 Trilateral Innovation Exchange in STEM, providing expertise in capacity-building and innovative training methodologies. UNITAR Programme Officer delivered sessions on leadership and inclusion as part of the four-day program.
• Aichi Prefectural GovernmentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Through its Overseas Collaboration Division, introduced STATION Ai and 'Aichi Landing Pad' project connecting global startups with local companies as part of the 2026 Trilateral Innovation Exchange in STEM program.
• Tokai Innovation Institute, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Director and COO Mr. TERANO Masaaki shared examples of open innovation pursued jointly with Nagoya University during the 2026 Trilateral Innovation Exchange in STEM program.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025FAO representatives participate in TCS programs, including the Trilateral Young Rural Leader's Exchange Program. Mr. TANG Shengyao, Head of FAO Partnership and UN Collaboration Division in the Republic of Korea, delivered keynote speeches on the FAO's GIAHS (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems) initiative.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• African Union Commission: The African Union Commission in Addis Ababa is a much larger continental secretariat coordinating cooperation among African Union member states across political, economic, and social domains—offering a scaled-up analogue of the TCS coordinating model with broader membership and deeper institutional remit.

Regional players

• Pacific Islands Forum: The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Suva coordinates multilateral cooperation among Pacific Island states via summits, ministerial meetings, and people-to-people programs—another small intergovernmental secretariat model serving a defined regional membership comparable to TCS.
• Mekong River Commission: The MRC Secretariat in Vientiane is a specialized intergovernmental body facilitating cooperation among Mekong-basin states—comparable to TCS as a small regional secretariat operating through intergovernmental mechanisms, though narrower in scope (water/agriculture) than TCS's broader mandate.

Emerging players

• Visegrád Group (V4): The Visegrád Group is a four-state Central European cooperation format that, like TCS, runs on the basis of regular summits, ministerial coordination, and people-to-people programs without a permanent large secretariat—an analogous trilateral+1 cooperation model.

Direct peers

• ASEAN Secretariat: The ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta is the closest functional analogue to TCS: a permanent intergovernmental secretariat coordinating multilateral cooperation among a defined group of Asian states across political, economic, cultural, and social sectors, with comparable program portfolio (summits, ministerial meetings, youth engagement, statistical reports).
• Nordic Council: The Nordic Council in Copenhagen is an intergovernmental forum coordinating cooperation among five Nordic states through parliamentary, ministerial, and people-to-people programs—sharing TCS's small-staff secretariat model and mandate to deepen regional cooperation across multiple domains.
• Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Secretariat: The SCO Secretariat in Beijing is a permanent intergovernmental body that facilitates cooperation among member states across political, economic, security, and cultural domains—structurally similar to TCS in operating as a small coordinating secretariat serving sovereign member governments with rotating leadership.
• SAARC Secretariat: The SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu coordinates multilateral cooperation among South Asian states through summits, ministerial meetings, and sectoral programs—an analogous regional intergovernmental secretariat model to TCS, with similar small permanent staff and dependence on member-state political will.
• BIMSTEC Secretariat: The BIMSTEC Secretariat in Dhaka connects seven Bay of Bengal states via summit, ministerial, and sectoral mechanisms, directly paralleling TCS's model of facilitating cooperation among a defined group of sovereign states across political, economic, and cultural domains.
• Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretariat: The GCC Secretariat in Riyadh is a permanent intergovernmental secretariat facilitating cooperation among six Gulf states, with summit coordination, ministerial meetings, and people-to-people programs—closely comparable to TCS in structure, mandate, and small-staff coordinating model.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TCS_tweet
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/tcsmanager
• Facebookfacebook.com/TrilateralCooperationSecretariat
• Instagraminstagram.com/tcs_cjk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trilateral-cooperation-secretariat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS)