Seodaemun-gu Revises Sister City Agreement with Beijing's Haidian District... Why?

Seodaemun-gu Mayor Moon Seok-jin and Haidian District Chief Wang Huesheng Hold Online Signing Ceremony... Adding Health and Talent to Existing Economic, Cultural, and Educational Exchange Items

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) recently held a 'Sister City Agreement Amendment Signing Ceremony' to strengthen exchange and cooperation with Haidian District, Beijing, China.

The signing ceremony was conducted via an online video conference attended by Moon Seok-jin, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, and Wang Hesheng, Head of Haidian District, along with other officials from both cities.

Through this meeting, some parts of the agreement originally signed in Haidian District in September 1995 were amended.

First, in the exchange and cooperation items between the two cities, health and human resources were added in addition to the existing fields of economy, trade, science and technology, culture, education, sports, administration, and urban construction.

Also, the agreement now specifies a validity period of five years, which was not previously included, and states that if neither party expresses intent to terminate after the expiration of this period, the agreement will be automatically extended.

Additionally, the agreement includes provisions such as "establishing a permanent contact system to facilitate consultations on exchange cooperation projects and matters of mutual interest."

Since the sister city relationship was established, Seodaemun-gu and Haidian District have maintained continuous cooperation by promoting exchanges of public officials and Korea-China youth homestays.

After COVID-19, the two cities agreed to expand the scope of exchange and cooperation by utilizing each other's excellent resources and to jointly strengthen urban competitiveness, leading to the amendment of this agreement.

Moon Seok-jin, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, "I hope to continue a closer relationship with Haidian District starting from this signing ceremony, and I also wish for the successful hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics next month."

Wang Hesheng, Head of Haidian District, said, "COVID-19 cannot stop the friendship between our two cities," and added, "I hope the situation improves soon so that we can meet in person as quickly as possible."

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