Mayor Lee Visits IFA... Seeks to Strengthen Local Autonomy and MICE Industry Competitiveness

Mayor Donghwan Lee Visits German City Council, Federal Council, and IFA
Back-to-back Meetings with City Council and Federal Council: Insights into the German Decentralization Model and Parliamentary Operations
Exploring New Technologies from Samsung, LG, and Startups; Consensus on KINTEX-MICE Cooperation with Chairman Lindner
Discussing Sustainable Urban Development and Cultural-Artistic Integration at "HOLZMARKT 25"

Donghwan Lee, Mayor of Goyang Special City, visited Berlin, Germany, from September 5 to 7 (local time) as part of a delegation from the Council of Major Cities in Korea (Chairman: Kangdeok Lee, Mayor of Pohang). During the visit, the delegation explored ways to strengthen cooperation for local autonomy and enhance competitiveness in the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industry.

Lee Donghwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, explaining the strengths of Goyang City and expressing willingness to cooperate with German companies at the German City Council. Photo by Goyang Special City

On September 5, Mayor Lee visited the German City Council and met with Director Hilmar von Lojewski. They discussed expanding their understanding of the German model of local autonomy and the cooperation framework between local and state governments, as well as ways to increase exchanges between Goyang City and German cities.

The German City Council is a network representing 3,200 small cities in Germany and is composed of about 60 local government policy experts. The organization conveys the opinions of small cities to state governments and the European Union, and is responsible for exchanging innovative policies and promoting development.

Director Hilmar proposed the possibility of cooperation in the future automotive industry, including autonomous vehicles and electric vehicles. Mayor Lee responded by expressing Goyang City's willingness to cooperate with German companies, stating, "Goyang City is adjacent to Seoul and is developing into a self-sustaining city through the Free Economic Zone and corporate attraction, based on various resources such as the Han River, Bukhansan Mountain, and KINTEX."

Later that afternoon, Mayor Lee visited the German Federal Council and listened to an explanation of the council's history and structure from Marianne, the council's public relations officer. Marianne explained, "The German Federal Council is composed of representatives from each state and has the authority to approve or veto national legislation by reflecting the opinions of each state during the legislative review process."

Mayor Lee stated, "Just as the German states participate in national policy through the Federal Council, Goyang City is working to expand its local autonomy authority as a special city so that it can have a voice in national policy decision-making."

As the final event on September 5, Mayor Lee visited the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Germany and exchanged views with Ambassador Sangbeom Lim on expanding exchanges and cooperation between major cities in Germany and Korea.

On the following day, September 6, Mayor Lee visited the Berlin International Consumer Electronics Fair (IFA), one of the world's top three IT and electronics exhibitions. He toured the Korean company pavilions, including those of Samsung and LG, as well as the Innovation Hall and major European booths, exploring the potential to integrate Goyang City's smart city and digital innovation policies with cutting-edge technologies.

He also visited the Korean startup pavilion, where he listened to presentations by young entrepreneurs working in various fields such as AR/VR, healthcare, eco-friendly energy, and smart mobility.

Visit to the Berlin International Consumer Electronics Fair (IFA) (from left: Donghwan Lee, Mayor of Goyang Special City; Kangdeok Lee, Chairman of the Council (Mayor of Pohang); Leif Lindner, Chairman of IFA; Sangil Lee, Mayor of Yongin Special City; Byungsoo Kim, Mayor of Gimpo). Provided by Goyang Special City

Mayor Lee emphasized, "Goyang City is creating a business environment where startups and innovative companies can grow freely. Building on these meetings, we will actively support promising startups to enter and invest in Goyang City."

In a subsequent meeting with Leif Lindner, Chairman of IFA, Lindner stated, "IFA is an open exhibition where Korean companies with innovative technologies can fully participate," and proposed continuing in-depth discussions through individual online meetings.

Mayor Donghwan Lee of Goyang Special City stated, "We will leverage the experience gained at IFA to enhance the international exhibition and convention industry in connection with KINTEX, and will continue to cooperate with IFA to turn exchanges with global companies into tangible results."

On September 7, as the final event in Berlin, Mayor Lee visited HOLZMARKT 25, an urban cultural district developed as a cooperative, and met with urban planning expert Benjamin Schaerbarth to learn about its operational model.

Expert Schaerbarth explained, "Instead of selling lots, we grant 75-year long-term land leases and have established a stable and sustainable structure through cooperation with the environmental bank." In response, Mayor Lee stated, "Through the case of HOLZMARKT, where commercial and public interests coexist, I have gained ideas for creatively utilizing the old downtown and idle spaces in Goyang City."

HOLZMARKT is an urban regeneration project that was led by local residents from 2013 to 2017 on a site of about 8,100 square meters (currently 12,000 square meters). Artists, architects, and civic groups operate it as a cooperative, and it has become a sustainable urban community space.

Following this, Mayor Lee will travel to Dresden, Germany, from September 8 to 9 to expand cooperation with global companies in the bio and semiconductor sectors and to strengthen the foundation for attracting investment.