Mayor Lee Sangil: "Toward a 1.5 Million Metropolis... Investing the Fruits of Semiconductor Growth in Citizens' Lives"

Yongin Marks 30th Anniversary as a City with 'Joa Yong Festival'

31st Citizens’ Day Celebrated at Mir Stadium, October 3-4

Characters from 29 Institutions Gather for a Parade and Hands-On Events

Huge Crowds Turn Out for Autograph Sessions with Woo Sanghyeok, Jeong Haeun, Dongguk Lee, and Hyunjun Seok

Mayor Lee: “From 270,000 to 1.11 Million—Leaping Forward as a Semiconductor Hub”

On the 3rd, Lee Sang-il, Mayor of Yongin Special City, stated, "We will do our utmost to expand the transportation network and improve education, culture, and welfare in order to develop into a metropolitan city with a population of 1.5 million."

Lee Sang-il, mayor of Yongin Special City, is giving a congratulatory speech at the ceremony for the '2026 Korea Joayang Festival' on the 3rd. Provided by Yongin City

Mayor Lee made these remarks at the 31st Citizens’ Day Commemoration Ceremony of the "2026 Korea Joa Yong Festival," held that day at Mir Stadium in Samga-dong, Cheoin-gu. He said, "In 1996, Yongin had a population of 270,000. In just 30 years, the city has surpassed 1.11 million residents, making it the eighth most populous city in Korea."

This festival, marking the 30th anniversary of Yongin’s elevation to city status, is held from the 3rd to 4th at Mir Stadium under the theme "Let’s Enjoy Together! Yongin 30th Anniversary." This year’s theme is "Let’s Enjoy Together! Yongin 30th Anniversary." The event featured 41 characters from 29 domestic and international institutions, led by Yongin’s mascot, "Joa Yong," offering various attractions for family visitors.

Mayor Lee also presented a vision for the city’s development centered on the semiconductor industry. He said, "Yongin, as a central city for the Korean semiconductor industry, has now embarked on the journey toward becoming a metropolitan city with 1.5 million people. We will focus on expanding the integrated transportation network and educational infrastructure, and we will improve welfare services for culture, arts, sports, and citizen health."

He continued, "When the large-scale semiconductor project, which involves an investment nearly double Korea’s annual budget, is completed, Yongin will possess the largest single-city semiconductor ecosystem in the world. The increased municipal revenue generated by the booming semiconductor industry will be boldly invested to enrich citizens’ lives and pioneer the city’s future."

Since becoming a city in 1996, Yongin has continued to celebrate Citizens’ Day on September 30, historically ’County Residents’ Day’ during the Yongin-gun period. Last year, at Mayor Lee’s suggestion, the commemorative event was renamed the "Joa Yong Festival," and the festival was expanded to feature various characters.

Sangil Lee, mayor of Yongin Special City, is taking a commemorative photo with participants at the '2026 Korea Joayong Festival' on the 3rd. Provided by Yongin City

The ceremony featured a commemorative video for the city’s 30th anniversary and short-form challenge clips about Joa Yong produced by citizens. Representatives of the citizens recited the Citizenship Charter on stage. Mayor Lee participated in a performance with calligrapher Kim Jooik, in which they wrote "Citizens’ Brush, Let New Flowers Bloom" with a large brush. The celebratory stage included performances by Koyote, Kyungseo, and Kwon Doyeon.

There was a steady turnout of citizens for the sports star autograph session. Among those present were Woo Sanghyeok, the men’s high jump bronze medalist at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games; Jeong Ha-eun, the women’s individual poomsae taekwondo gold medalist; Dongguk Lee, technical director of Yongin FC; and athlete Seok Hyun-joon, all of whom interacted with citizens.

Citizens lined up at the autograph session booth holding athletes’ photos, uniforms, and sneakers. The athletes signed autographs and took commemorative photos, responding gratefully to the support of the citizens.

Mayor Lee expressed to athlete Jeong Ha-eun, "Thank you for raising the profile of Yongin and Korea with your excellent performance at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The achievements of these representative sports stars surely provided courage and pride to our citizens."

Athlete Woo Sanghyeok commented, "Despite the difficulties of injury, I gained strength from the support of citizens. I am pleased to have met many citizens again this year, and I will do my best in the remaining competitions." Jeong Ha-eun said, "Thanks to everyone’s encouragement, I was able to achieve good results. I will continue striving to be an athlete that makes Yongin proud."

Lee Sang-il, Mayor of Yongin Special City, is taking a commemorative photo with athlete Jeong Ha-eun at the "2026 Korea Joa Yong Festival" held on the 3rd at Mir Stadium in Yongin Special City. Photo provided by Yongin City

On the 3rd, a sports star autograph session was held at the "2026 Korea Joayang Festival" at Mir Stadium in Yongin Special City. From the left: Lee Dongguk, Technical Director of Yongin FC, player Seok Hyunjun, Jung Haeun from the city's Workplace Sports Taekwondo Team, and track and field athlete Woo Sanghyeok. Provided by Yongin City

Officials from 16 domestic and international exchange cities and institutions also visited the festival site to congratulate Yongin on the 30th anniversary of its elevation to city status. Participants included staff from the Embassies of Croatia and Italy in Korea, China’s Yangzhou City, Japan’s Kumamoto City, and Williamson and Fairfax Counties in the United States. Ten domestic exchange cities were represented, including Hampyeong-gun in Gwangju, Jeollanam-do; Danyang-gun in Chungbuk; Hwasun-gun in Gwangju, Jeollanam-do; Yanggu-gun and Cheorwon-gun in Gangwon-do; Sacheon City in Gyeongnam; Pohang City in Gyeongbuk; Goesan-gun in Chungbuk; Jinju City in Gyeongnam; and Jeju City.

At a welcoming dinner for delegations held before the ceremony, Mayor Lee said, "Thank you to the representatives from domestic and international exchange cities who attended the '2026 Korea Joa Yong Festival' to celebrate Yongin Special City’s 30th anniversary and the 31st Citizens’ Day. We look forward to continuing close cooperation and working together toward mutual development."

Damir Kusen, Croatian Ambassador to Korea, referred to joint exhibitions by the Nam June Paik Art Center and the Zagreb Museum of Contemporary Art, expressing hope for expanded cultural and business exchanges. Emilia Gatto, Italian Ambassador to Korea, said she hoped that exchanges in advanced technology and culture would lead to formal sisterhood agreements between Yongin and Italian cities.

Nam-o Lee, head of Hampyeong-gun, stated, "Over the past 30 years, Yongin Special City has grown into a representative semiconductor hub of Korea, achieving remarkable development as a city integrating advanced industries and culture. I hope that today’s gathering will deepen the friendship and lead to continued win-win cooperation between Yongin, Hampyeong, and all our exchange cities."

Lee Sang-il, Mayor of Yongin Special City, is giving a greeting speech at the welcome dinner for the exchange cities commemorating the '2026 Joayang Festival Korea' on the 3rd. Provided by Yongin City

On October 4, the second day of the festival, character dance performances, a random play dance event, and the Joa Yong parade will be held. Linked programs include the Cyber Science Festival, Lifelong Learning Expo, Youth Festival, Food Festa, Food Industry Expo, and Joa Yong Food Festa.

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