Jogyuil Jinju Mayor's First Visit to Nakatsu City, Japan: 'A New Leap in Friendly Exchange'

Signing of MOU for Mutual Exchange to Promote Friendship

The delegation from Jinju City, Gyeongnam Province, visited Nakatsu City, Japan, for three days starting from the 8th to pioneer export routes for excellent agricultural products and expand exchanges between international cities, strengthening cooperation with Nakatsu City.

This visit to Nakatsu City was arranged upon Nakatsu City's invitation to support the private exchanges that have continued for 50 years between Jinju City and Nakatsu City and to enhance exchanges between the two cities.

During the Jinju City delegation's visit, both Jinju and Nakatsu agreed on making a turning point in the 50 years of private exchanges. On the 9th, Mayor Jo Gyu-il of Jinju and Mayor Masanori Okuzuka of Nakatsu signed a mutual cooperation agreement (MOU) to promote friendship and mutual development through exchanges between the two cities.

Group photo of Jo Gyu-il, Mayor of Jinju City, visiting Nakatsu City, Japan.

The signing ceremony was attended by six members of the Jinju City delegation, including Mayor Jo Gyu-il, Mayor Masanori Okuzuka of Nakatsu, Takahiro Sagara, Chairman of Nakatsu City Council, Motohiro Ando, Honorary President of the Korea-Japan Friendship Association, and about 40 others.

At the ceremony, Mayor Jo said, “Jinju City and Nakatsu City have come together, building on the trust solidified through the history of private exchanges. I would like to express my gratitude to Honorary President Motohiro Ando and many others who have long worked hard in the private sector to make today possible. I hope that through active exchanges, the cultures of both cities will become richer and mutually develop.”

In an interview with Japanese media held on the same day, Mayor Jo expressed his pleasure, saying, “I am glad to mark a new beginning for 50 years of private exchanges today,” and added, “I will help ensure that private cooperation and exchanges between the two cities develop in a better direction.”

He also promoted Jinju City by saying, “Please take an interest in Jinju, a representative festival city of Korea and a growing aerospace city, and I hope many people will visit.”

This was the first visit by the mayor of Jinju to Nakatsu City, and it is expected that the private exchanges that have continued so far will gain momentum with the signing of this agreement.

Private exchanges between Jinju City and Nakatsu City have continued as friendly exchange activities centered on the Jinju-Nakatsu Korea-Japan Friendship Association after the youth chambers of both cities formed a partnership in 1973. During this time, exchanges have been active in sports and cultural fields, including volleyball exchange matches between Seonmyeong Girls' High School and Ryukoku High School, support for soccer students from Jinju studying abroad, and tea culture exchange events.

Mayor Jo stated, “We will continue to do our best to widely promote the status of Jinju as an international city in various fields such as aerospace, culture, and economy,” and added, “Please watch how Jinju, soaring as an aerospace city based on K-entrepreneurship, grows on the world stage.”

On the day, the Jinju City delegation visited Bungo Mori Engine Shed in Kusumachi with Masakazu Shukuri, the Kusumachi County Governor, to observe how local residents clean the abandoned engine shed and trains and maintain the surroundings to utilize them as regional tourism products.

Next, the delegation toured the Takehiko Gurushima Memorial Hall, operated by Korean curator Kim Seong-yeon. The memorial hall tells the story of Takehiko Gurushima, known as the “Andersen of Japan,” and his warm gaze toward children, conveyed with the unique delicacy of the Korean curator.

Meanwhile, Nakatsu City is an old city located in the northwest of Oita Prefecture, Japan, known as a cultural city that blossoms with various cultures based on its long history and tradition. It is also a tourist city famous for its beautiful autumn foliage, attracting many tourists in the fall.

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