Chuncheon and Japan's Hofu Reaffirm 50-Year Friendship... Pledge to Expand Exchanges with "Baeknyeonjiu"

Official Three-Day Visit by Hofu City Delegation
Official Meeting and Welcome Dinner Held at City Hall
Visits to Nami Island and Samaksan Cable Car
Continued Exchanges Centered on Youth, Culture, and the Arts

Chuncheon City in Gangwon Province (Mayor Yook Donghan) and Hofu City in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, have reaffirmed their half-century friendship. As a delegation from Hofu, Chuncheon's sister city in Japan, is visiting Chuncheon for three days and two nights starting from October 31, both sides have pledged to continue exchanges in various fields, including youth, culture, arts, and sports.

Yook Donghan, Mayor of Chuncheon (center), is meeting with a delegation including Yutaka Ikeda, Mayor of Ikeda, Masashi Yasumura, Chairman of Hofu City Council, and Shinya Gotoku, President of the Korea-Japan Friendship Association, on the 31st. Provided by Chuncheon City

On October 31, Mayor Yook Donghan held an official meeting with a delegation of 11, including Yutaka Ikeda, Mayor of Hofu, Yasumura Masaji, Chairman of the Hofu City Council, and Shinya Gotoku, President of the Korea-Japan Friendship Association, to discuss sustainable cooperation between the two cities.

During the meeting, the two cities reflected on the meaning of the calligraphy work "Baeknyeonjiu" ("Friendship of a Hundred Years"), which they created together and exchanged during Mayor Yook Donghan's visit to Hofu in April. "Baeknyeonjiu" commemorates the 50-year friendship between Chuncheon and Hofu and expresses the hope of moving forward together for the next 100 years. The work is installed at the entrance to the Mayor's office in Chuncheon and in the lobby of Hofu City Hall. Both cities regard this artwork as a symbol of their friendship and a starting point for future generations' exchanges.

Mayor Yook stated, "Chuncheon and Hofu are true friends who have built a bond of friendship by respecting each other's cultures for half a century," and added, "I hope we can write a new chapter of friendship for the next 50 years through cultural, artistic, sports, and tourism exchanges involving youth and citizens."

Yutaka Ikeda, Mayor of Hofu, responded, "I am grateful for Chuncheon's warm hospitality, and I hope to continue broad cooperation not only in culture and the arts, but also in citizen exchanges, tourism, and youth programs. I look forward to this visit serving as an opportunity for the two cities to become even closer partners."

At the welcome dinner held at the Sejong Hotel that evening, there were celebratory performances and the exchange of commemorative gifts. In his welcome speech, Mayor Yook said, "This is an occasion to reciprocate 50 years of friendship at Chuncheon's table," and suggested, "Let us design the next century together, focusing on the arts and citizen exchange."

On November 1, the second day of the visit, the Hofu delegation attended the opening ceremony of the "33rd Korea-Japan Cultural and Artistic Exchange Exhibition" at the Chuncheon Art Gallery. The exhibition features 40 works of painting and photography submitted by artists from both countries, providing a platform for citizen exchange through art. The delegation then visited Nami Island and the Samaksan Cable Car to experience Chuncheon's natural scenery and culture, and is scheduled to return to Japan on November 2.

This visit by the Hofu delegation was organized to commemorate the 50th anniversary of exchanges between Chuncheon and Hofu. The relationship between Chuncheon and Hofu dates back to 1975, when the 1st Chuncheon-Hofu Korea-Japan Friendship Track and Field Exchange Meet was held. Building on this event, the two cities established a sister city relationship in October 1991 and have since actively engaged in various exchanges, including youth programs, elementary and middle school student exchanges, and council member exchanges.

However, due to domestic and international circumstances, exchanges were suspended after July 2008. Since last year, Mayor Yook Donghan has made efforts to resume exchanges with Hofu. In August, a Chuncheon youth performance group participated in the Hofu Children's Cultural Festival, and the city plans to expand practical exchanges centered on future generations, such as mutual dispatch of youth arts groups and invitations to international youth soccer tournaments.

A city official stated, "We will create a model case of sustainable exchange and cooperation through citizen diplomacy centered on culture, the arts, and youth."

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