Korea, Japan Map Economic Solidarity Roadmap to 2045
A three-phase plan led by Seoul-based institutes aims to counter population decline and slowing economic standing between the two countries.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Economics — General
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Korea and Japan have launched a three-phase roadmap to build economic solidarity by 2045, outlined at a conference co-hosted by the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies and the East Asia Institute in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on Nov. 12, 2026. The plan responds to shared challenges of population decline and declining economic stature.
Why it matters
Low birthrates and population aging are pressures both countries share, and the roadmap frames deeper integration as a way to address them together. Participants floated an ASEAN-style model that respects member-state sovereignty rather than EU-style supranational integration.
The roadmap sets 2045 as its target year, with phases running 2026–2031, 2032–2036 and 2037–2045, and proposed timeframes of three, five and 10 years for near-term goals, industry achievements and benefits people can feel. The source provides no baseline economic figures, and how the phased targets will be measured remains undefined.
The players
Chey Institute for Advanced Studies
A Seoul-based research institute affiliated with SK Group that co-hosted the conference on the roadmap.
Chey Tae-won
Chairman of SK Group and of the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies, who proposed the phased goals for the roadmap.
The details
Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group and the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies, proposed phased goals covering economic cooperation, industry achievements and tangible benefits. Academics and researchers including Son Yul of Yonsei University, Takashi Terada of Doshisha University, Tomonobu Chishima of Hannan University and Choi Jeong-hwan of the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade took part, with Choi proposing a Korea-Japan Digital Trade Agreement and joint training data for physical AI.
Timeline
Nov. 12, 2026: Conference on the economic solidarity roadmap held in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
2026–2031: Phase one focuses on issue-by-issue cooperation, with Korea's CPTPP accession as a key milestone.
2032–2036: Phase two would see both sides declare a comprehensive economic partnership.
2037–2045: Phase three calls for concluding a Korea-Japan Economic Community Agreement.
Economic Integration Models
Participants pointed to the ASEAN Economic Community as a template that respects member-state sovereignty, contrasting it with the supranational integration of the European Union. The Korea-Japan roadmap adopts that intergovernmental logic while setting its own phased timeline.
The roadmap's near-term goals are framed around issues that touch household life, including low birthrates, population aging and digital trade. Its stated benefits are not yet specified, so readers should expect the first tangible changes to come only after the phased agreements take shape.
The takeaway
Both countries are treating demographic decline as a shared problem that neither can solve alone, and the roadmap's phased structure suggests integration will proceed step by step over two decades. Watching whether the 2026–2031 milestones are met will show how seriously the plan is being pursued.
What happens next
The first phase runs from 2026 to 2031, with Korea's accession to the CPTPP identified as a key milestone within that period.
Further reading
For broader context on regional trade and cooperation, explore Economics — General.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Business Korea.
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