Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun Discusses Cooperation Plans with French Ambassador Philippe Bertoux

On the 16th, Lee Jae-jun, Mayor of Suwon, met with Philippe Bertoux, the French Ambassador to Korea, to discuss cooperation plans.

Mayor Lee Jae-jun explained, "There is a French military Korean War participation monument in Suwon, and Ajou University in Suwon was established in 1973 through an agreement between Korea and France," adding, "Suwon and France share a deep connection."

He continued, "The year 2026 marks the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France, and if there are any commemorative projects that Suwon can participate in, we will actively cooperate."

Ambassador Philippe Bertoux responded, "I thank Mayor Lee Jae-jun for expressing his willingness to cooperate," and said, "On the occasion of the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations, I hope that the governments of both countries and major cities will promote commemorative projects in various fields such as culture and arts, economy, and human exchange."

Lee Jae-jun, Mayor of Suwon (right), is having a conversation with Philippe Bertoux, the French Ambassador to Korea, on the 16th. Photo by Suwon City

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Mayor Lee Jae-jun and Ambassador Bertoux agreed to cooperate on the maintenance of the French military participation monument and the advancement of the Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival into a global festival.

Before the discussion, Ambassador Bertoux toured the Saebit Civil Service Office and the Integrated Civil Service Office with Mayor Lee Jae-jun.

Meanwhile, the United Nations French Battalion, which landed in Busan on November 28, 1950, five months after the outbreak of the Korean War, gathered in Suwon and was assigned to the U.S. 2nd Division to participate in combat. Among the 3,421 French soldiers, 288 (including 18 Korean soldiers assigned to the French forces) died in action. The French military participation monument was built by the Ministry of National Defense in 1974 and was later taken over by Suwon City.

In May 2023, Suwon City signed a sister city agreement with Tours, a representative tourist city of France, and continues to maintain exchanges.

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