Jogyuil Jinju Mayor Completes Japan International Exchange Activities

Mayor Cho Gyu-il, head of the Jinju City international exchange delegation in Gyeongnam, concluded the visit to Japan’s exchange cities with benchmarking tours of Gokasho Kondo Street, Omi Merchants Museum, and Osaka Entrepreneur Museum from March 27 to April 1, a six-day schedule.

Mayor Cho and the delegation carefully toured the Osaka Entrepreneur Museum under the guidance of Naoki Morimatsu, the museum’s secretary general, focusing on the past and present of Korean entrepreneurship. This visit supported efforts toward establishing the “National Museum of Korean Entrepreneurship” to present creative future visions to entrepreneurs leading companies.

The Osaka Entrepreneur Museum, established in 2001 by the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry as part of its 120th anniversary project, introduces the achievements and lives of 105 entrepreneurs from Osaka. It embodies the wisdom, entrepreneurial spirit, and philosophy of famous Japanese entrepreneurs such as Mizuno Rihachi (sports brand “Mizuno”), Tashima Kazuo (Konica Minolta cameras), and Hayakawa Tokuchi (mechanical pencils).

Joo Kyu-il, Mayor of Jinju City, Gyeongnam, is signing a mutual cooperation agreement for the export of agricultural specialty products.

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Additionally, the delegation visited Gokasho Kondo Street in Higashiomi City and the Omi Merchants Museum, providing a valuable opportunity to compare and integrate with the Jisu Seungsan Village’s “K-Entrepreneurship Tourism Belt Construction Project.”

Earlier, on March 29, the delegation visited Tokyo and signed an MOU related to the export and import of Jinju’s agricultural and specialty products with the Korean Agricultural and Food Association in Japan, undertaking activities to pioneer overseas markets that had been contracted due to the impact of COVID-19.

Through the MOU with the Korean Agricultural and Food Association in Japan, Mayor Cho created mutual cooperation opportunities for Jinju’s agricultural products to frequently appear on Japanese consumers’ tables.

He also encouraged members of the Korean Jinju Association in Japan, who annually visit the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival to promote Jinju in Japan and have donated money several times to help neighbors in need, continuously volunteering for the development of their hometown Jinju from abroad.

This visit to Japan’s exchange cities aimed to revitalize international exchanges halted by the COVID-19 pandemic and to strengthen international competitiveness through mutual cooperation and development with UNESCO Creative Cities. The popular character “Hamo,” which swept three awards at the 5th “Our Neighborhood Character Awards,” accompanied the delegation, playing a significant role as a tourism ambassador promoting Jinju City.

Mayor Cho stated, “Through continuous exchanges with sister and friendship cities, including Kitami City in Japan, we will create opportunities for mutual development and further solidify Jinju’s foundation as a top-tier international city, already recognized by hosting international sports events and being selected as a global festival city.”

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