"Preparing for Face-to-Face Exchange"... Yeongju-si, Gyeongbuk, Holds Video Conference with Fujinomiya City, Japan

Invited to Punggi Ginseng Expo on the 10th Anniversary of the Agreement

Gyeongbuk Yeongju City Hall.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] Yeongju City in Gyeongbuk Province and Fujinomiya City in Japan held an online meeting on the 15th to promote face-to-face exchanges for international events such as the Punggi Ginseng Expo scheduled for next year.

The two cities, which established ties starting with private exchanges in 1999, signed a sister city agreement in 2012 and have continued exchanges in culture, tourism, and industry by dispatching delegations and cultural performance groups to representative festivals and events.

In the second online meeting following November, Yeongju Mayor Jang Wook-hyun and Fujinomiya Mayor Sudo Hidetada inquired about the COVID-19 quarantine situation and citizens' well-being, reviewed past exchange activities, and shared opinions on international exchange cooperation, youth online exchanges, and cultural events.

The two mayors proposed face-to-face exchanges at the 2022 Yeongju World Punggi Ginseng Expo and the Fujinomiya City Industrial Fair in Japan, which will be held in 2022 marking the 10th anniversary of the exchange agreement, and agreed to invite the mayors and cultural exchange groups.

The city expects that this meeting will sustain exchanges and cooperation between the two cities and revitalize international exchanges that have been stagnant due to the spread of COVID-19.

Mayor Jang Wook-hyun said, “Although face-to-face exchanges were suspended due to COVID-19, it was a time to meet through video, strengthen cooperative relations, and deepen friendship.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.