Gwanghwamun’s “Garden of Gratitude”: Seoul and San Francisco Celebrate 50 Years of Friendship

50 Years of Friendship: Visit by Mayor Daniel Lurie

Symbolic Stone of 1906 Earthquake Reconstruction Donated

Sharing the Values of Resilience and Solidarity... Expanding Exchange

A stone symbolizing the reconstruction and recovery of San Francisco will be erected in the Garden of Gratitude, which is currently being created by the Seoul Metropolitan Government at Gwanghwamun Square. The stone will be used in the production of a monument to express gratitude to the 22 countries that participated in the Korean War and helped make global Seoul possible.

On the morning of April 23, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon held a stone donation ceremony for the Garden of Gratitude with San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie.

Above-ground section of the "Garden of Gratitude" to be created by the Seoul Metropolitan Government at Gwanghwamun Square. Provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Government

The Garden of Gratitude is being constructed in front of the Sejong-ro Park north of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and at Gwanghwamun Square, with completion targeted for May 2026. To express appreciation to the 22 allied nations that assisted Korea during the Korean War, a total of 23 monuments—"23 Lights of Gratitude"—will be installed, symbolizing the 22 participating countries and Korea.

The stone donated by the San Francisco delegation is part of the marble that had been preserved for the reconstruction of San Francisco City Hall, which was damaged during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. On April 17, 1906, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck San Francisco, and the resulting fires destroyed more than 80% of the city, killing over 3,000 people. San Francisco City Hall was also severely damaged, with its interior completely destroyed by fire. However, the city recovered quickly, with most of the reconstruction completed by 1915, and City Hall became a symbol of San Francisco's resilience.

The stone used in this donation ceremony is a portion of the marble pledged for donation by San Francisco. The entire shipment of stone will be delivered to Seoul at a later date. In addition to San Francisco, seven other countries—including Greece, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, and India—completed their stone donations by September last year. Sweden and Australia have also expressed their intention to donate stones.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government stated that the visit of the San Francisco delegation has further deepened friendly relations between the two cities, which have developed over the past 50 years. Business leaders included in the delegation explored Seoul's dynamic economic environment and sought opportunities for practical economic and cultural partnerships. This visit also marked San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie's first official overseas trip, and he was accompanied by more than 20 high-level delegates representing tourism, culture, and the economy, including Haegeon Choi, Chair of the Sister City Committee, Ghazi Shami, Founder of Empire, Jim Coulter, Chairman of Texas Pacific Group, and Branislav Henselmann, Executive Director of San Francisco Ballet.

On April 21, the delegation participated in a night tour of Myeong-dong, shopped at "Oldamu" (Olive Young, Daiso, and Musinsa)—a must-visit course for foreign tourists—and experienced Korean street food. On April 22, they held a commemorative sports exchange event and a welcome reception at Gocheok Sky Dome to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the sister city relationship between Seoul and San Francisco.

Kim Sooduk, Director of Global City Policy at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "San Francisco is a major tourist city representing the United States and a center of culture and the arts, making it a familiar city to Seoul residents through sports exchanges. The donation of the reconstruction stone, a symbol of restoration and recovery, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of our sister city relationship will further strengthen the friendly ties between our cities through various exchange and cooperation projects."

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