Mayor Lee: "Arkansas, Moving Beyond Symbolic Exchanges to Become a Partner for Joint Growth"

Hanam City and Arkansas Discuss Cooperation Measures
Mayor Lee Presents the "K-Star World Project" in Person

Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Hyunjae) announced on September 15 that a delegation from Arkansas, USA, made an official visit to the city on the 14th to hold in-depth discussions on cooperation measures between the two regions.

Lee Hyun Jae, mayor of Hanam (fifth from the left), is taking a commemorative photo after having an in-depth discussion on cooperation measures between the two regions with the delegation from Arkansas, USA, who visited Hanam on the 14th. Provided by Hanam City

During the meeting, a variety of collaborative initiatives were discussed, including the establishment of a communication channel for economic exchanges, the creation of a cooperative system for large-scale development projects, and the expansion of youth education and cultural exchanges.

This visit was a follow-up to the economic cooperation memorandum of understanding signed between Hanam City and Arkansas during Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders' visit to Korea in March last year. The significance of this visit is heightened as it marks the second official visit by the Arkansas delegation.

Hanam City explained that this meeting served as an important opportunity to realize its key policy goal of "global administration" and to gain insights into the latest investment trends in the United States.

The delegation visiting Hanam on this day consisted of an economic mission led by Hugh McDonald, Secretary of Commerce for the State of Arkansas, including Clint O'Neal, Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Neal Jansen, Director of the Asia Office, Cam Napieer, International Business Development Manager, and Hwang Ikjun, Head of the Korea Office.

Mayor Lee introduced the delegation to Hanam City's high-quality administrative capabilities, highlighting its achievement of being named the top institution for four consecutive years in the comprehensive civil service evaluation, as well as being the first in the nation to receive the Presidential Award for two consecutive years. He also presented outstanding administrative examples in various fields such as transportation, culture, and education.

In particular, Mayor Lee personally explained Hanam's flagship initiative, the "K-Star World Project," presenting his vision that this project will become the premier multi-complex for culture and entertainment, fulfilling the national agenda of creating a "300 trillion won K-content market."

After the briefing, the delegation visited Union Tower to get a direct view of the site designated for the K-Star World Project and received a detailed explanation of the project. They also visited Starfield Hanam, widely regarded as Korea's top shopping mall, to experience firsthand Hanam's vibrant local economy and convenient shopping environment.

Secretary Hugh McDonald remarked, "Hanam is the fastest-growing city in the Seoul metropolitan area, and we once again confirmed its convenient leisure infrastructure centered around Starfield Hanam."

He added, "In particular, the K-Star World Project has the potential to generate even greater economic effects by leveraging the popularity of K-culture in the United States. I hope this visit will serve as an opportunity to combine the industrial and economic foundations of Arkansas with Hanam City's tremendous potential."

In response, Mayor Lee stated, "The second official visit by the Arkansas delegation proves that our relationship is moving beyond symbolic exchanges toward a practical partnership."

Mayor Lee also expressed his strong commitment, saying, "Based on the 33-year sister city relationship with Little Rock, we will pursue meaningful exchange projects such as expanding business channels, promoting university student education and youth cultural exchanges, and overseas dispatch programs to enhance public officials' capabilities. At the same time, we will continue to maintain an economic cooperation system to successfully drive the K-Star World Project, ensuring that both Hanam City and Arkansas can grow together."

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