'Kim Dong-yeon Meets Virginia Governor, a US Presidential Contender: "Let's Collaborate on Startups and Bio"'

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon (left) is meeting with Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin on the 16th (local time) to discuss current issues.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon visited the state of Virginia in the United States to propose expanding startup exchanges, strengthening cooperation in the bioindustry, and resuming the policy council. He also requested participation in data center installation and expansion of youth exchanges.

On the 16th (local time) in Washington, Governor Kim met with Glenn Youngkin, Governor of Virginia, and said, "Congratulations on achieving 10,000 startups during your tenure as governor of Virginia. I also plan to make Gyeonggi Province a 'startup paradise.' I am going to New York this time to meet with 500 startups in the U.S. I hope Gyeonggi Province and Virginia can cooperate to promote startup exchanges."

He continued, "I was pleased to hear that the U.S. Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) selected you as Governor of the Year. Since Gyeonggi Province accounts for 40% of South Korea's bioindustry, I hope to strengthen the cooperative relationship with Virginia," he added.

He also said, "The 'policy council' between Gyeonggi Province and Virginia is currently suspended, but I hope it will be resumed. I hope to activate a high-level dialogue channel and build a strong cooperative relationship not only in the two proposed fields (startups and bioindustry) but also in other industries and businesses."

Governor Glenn Youngkin listened carefully to Governor Kim's proposals and took notes, responding, "It is extremely important to work with reliable supply chains, trustworthy partners, and dependable technology cooperation partners. There are very few countries that can be trusted like that, and South Korea is always at the top among them."

He added, "As an economic partner, the relationship with South Korea is very important, and as sister states, the relationship between Gyeonggi Province and Virginia is also very important. You mentioned resuming the policy council, which is very necessary. We need to increase exchanges and points of contact between the two regions." Gyeonggi Province and Virginia established a sister-state relationship in 1997.

Governor Glenn Youngkin especially spoke about startups, saying, "Virginia is the world's largest market in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and cybersecurity, and it is said that 70% of U.S. internet traffic passes through Virginia. Semiconductors, which are a strength of Gyeonggi Province, are also in high demand here. I expect cooperation between startups in both regions in such fields."

Governor Kim also proposed cooperation in the data sector and expansion of youth exchanges to Governor Glenn Youngkin on the same day.

Virginia is a region close to Washington, the political center, and New York, the economic center, with developed manufacturing and advanced industries. More than 800 corporate headquarters are located in Virginia, and major IT companies such as Google, Amazon, and Meta have data centers there. Additionally, Virginia hosts many leading companies in the bioindustry, including pharmaceutical production, medical equipment manufacturing, and bioinformatics.

Meanwhile, Glenn Youngkin, who is mentioned as a potential future Republican presidential candidate, is an expert in investment and consulting who served as co-CEO of the Carlyle Group, one of the world's top three private equity firms. Governor Kim officially invited Governor Glenn Youngkin to Gyeonggi Province on this day, and Governor Youngkin expressed his gratitude.

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