Launch of Baekje Historical and Cultural Area Local Government Council... Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa-gu, Appointed as First Chairman

[Seoul District News] Songpa-gu, Buyeo-gun, Gongju-si and 20 Baekje Cultural Cities Nationwide Participate... Park Seong-su, Inaugural President, "Widely Promote and Develop the Excellence of Baekje Culture from 2000 Years Ago"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa-gu, has been appointed as the inaugural chairman of the "Baekje Historical and Cultural Area Local Government Council."

Songpa-gu announced on the afternoon of the 18th that this decision was made at the inaugural general meeting of the "Baekje Historical and Cultural Area Local Government Council" held at the Women's Cultural Center in Buyeo-gun.

The "Baekje Historical and Cultural Area Local Government Council" (hereafter referred to as the Council) is a local government administrative council composed of 20 local governments that agreed to participate among over 60 local governments nationwide where Baekje historical sites and relics are located. Participants include Songpa-gu, Buyeo-gun and Gongju-si in Chungnam, Iksan-si in Jeonbuk, and Hanam-si and Gwangju-si in Gyeonggi-do.

Having continuously engaged in academic and cultural exchanges centered on Baekje culture, the need to form a local government council among cities within the same cultural area was strongly felt, leading to its formal establishment alongside the enforcement of the Special Act on Historical and Cultural Areas.

Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa-gu and newly appointed inaugural chairman, stated, "To inherit and develop the brilliant history and culture of Baekje from 2,000 years ago for our descendants, exchanges and cooperation among Baekje historical and cultural cities are necessary. I hope we can gather strength and wisdom together." He added, "As the inaugural chairman, I will carry a solemn sense of responsibility and lay the foundation for the succession and development of Baekje culture."

He continued, "We will achieve mutual growth among member cities through legal and institutional improvements for revitalizing the Baekje historical and cultural area, promotion of Baekje historical culture, development of joint brands, and cultural and tourism products."

Mayor Park has taken the lead in widely promoting the excellence of Baekje culture centered on Songpa-gu, which was the main stage of Baekje Hanseong period 2,000 years ago. Since 2020, the representative festival of Songpa-gu, the Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival, has been expanded and held as the "Great Baekje Festival." Various projects have been carried out to promote the culture and history of Hanseong Baekje, including the urban regeneration of Pungnap Fortress, linking the Songpa Dulle-gil trail with the Pungnap Fortress exploration route, and producing a standard portrait of King Geunchogo.

Recognizing these efforts, on November 18 last year, at the "2nd Baekje Historical and Cultural City Exchange and Cooperation Revitalization Forum - 100JE Forum" held in Buyeo-gun, he was nominated as the inaugural chairman of the Council and was officially appointed at the founding general meeting held that day.

Going forward, the Council will establish its secretariat at Songpa-gu Office and engage in activities aimed at ▲ joint response to the Special Act on Historical and Cultural Areas ▲ exchange and cooperation on Baekje historical culture ▲ discovery of cultural contents ▲ establishment of the Baekje Research Foundation and training of professional personnel.

The Council's vice chairmen are Shin Dong-heon, Mayor of Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, and Kim Jeong-seop, Mayor of Gongju-si, Chungnam, while auditors are Kim Sang-ho, Mayor of Hanam-si, Gyeonggi-do, and Jeong Heon-yul, Mayor of Iksan-si, Jeonbuk.

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