Busan City and Nagasaki Prefecture Sign Face-to-Face Renewal of Friendly Exchange Agreement After 3 Years

Added 'Book Exchange Support' Item in Education Sector

New Cooperation Clause for 2030 Busan World Expo

On the afternoon of the 17th, Busan City held a signing ceremony at the City Hall International Protocol Room with Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, renewing and signing the "Friendly Exchange Items Agreement."

Busan City and Nagasaki Prefecture are renewing and signing the memorandum of understanding for friendly exchange items.

Since signing the sister city cooperation agreement on March 25, 2014, Busan City and Nagasaki Prefecture have been reviewing and renewing the friendly exchange items annually by sector to develop substantial cooperation in culture, tourism, education, and economic fields.

From 2020 to 2022, due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and difficulties in mutual visits, the agreements were signed or postponed through online video conferences. However, the 2023 agreement was signed face-to-face for the first time in three years, as Nagasaki Prefecture's visit to Busan was realized with the recovery of daily life, marking significant importance.

At the signing ceremony, in accordance with the sister city cooperation agreement, Cho Yoo-jang, Director of International Affairs and Head of the Busan 2030 Expo Promotion Headquarters, and the Policy Officer of the Nagasaki Prefecture Culture, Tourism, and International Department personally attended and signed the renewal agreement.

The renewed agreement includes not only the previously promoted friendly exchange items but also adds a new item supporting "book exchanges" in the education sector. Notably, a clause was newly established to actively cooperate in the bid for the 2030 Busan World Expo.

This reflects Nagasaki Prefecture, a sister city, expressing its support for the 2030 Busan World Expo bid at the 30th Korea-Japan Strait Coastal Cities and Prefectures Governors' Meeting in October last year, and further solidifying its support through this renewed agreement.

Through this renewal, Busan City and Nagasaki Prefecture expect that friendly exchanges between the two cities will regain vitality by expanding exchanges using various methods, including face-to-face interactions and non-face-to-face exchanges experienced during the pandemic.

Cho Yoo-jang, Head of the Busan 2030 Expo Promotion Headquarters, said, "This year marks the 9th anniversary of the sister city relationship between Busan City and Nagasaki Prefecture," adding, "We expect that the renewal and signing of the friendly exchange items agreement will serve as an opportunity for the two cities to coexist and strengthen international cooperation in more diverse fields."

Busan City and its sister city Nagasaki Prefecture continuously participate in exchanges and cooperation through joint support projects such as the UNESCO World Heritage joint registration of the Joseon Tongsinsa, Korea-Japan Future Seminars, Korea-China-Japan Youth Baduk Exchange Tournaments, and Environmental Technology Exchange Conferences.

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