Mayor Lee Sangil: "Yongin in semiconductors, Jinju in aerospace to grow together through advanced-industry cooperation"

Yongin Special City and Jinju Establish Sister-City Ties
Expand Exchanges in the Economy, Culture, Tourism, and Agriculture
Jinju Becomes Yongin's 19th Sister City in South Korea
Promote Cooperation with Tangible Benefits, Including Expanded Mark

Lee Sangil, mayor of Yongin Special City in Gyeonggi Province, signed a sister-city agreement with Jinju City in South Gyeongsang Province on October 16, launching efforts to expand cooperation in advanced industries centered on semiconductors and aerospace, as well as exchanges in the economy, culture, tourism, and agriculture.

Yongin Mayor Lee Sangil (right) poses for a commemorative photo with Jinju Mayor Jo Gyuil after signing an agreement at Jinju City Hall on the 16th. Photo provided by Yongin City.

Yongin, which is seeking to become a global semiconductor hub, and Jinju, which is working to foster its aerospace industry, aim to build a foundation for mutual growth by leveraging their respective industrial strengths.

At a ceremony at the Citizens' Hall of Jinju City Hall that day, Mayor Lee signed a sister-city agreement with Jinju Mayor Cho Gyuil. "Yongin is emerging as a global semiconductor hub, while Jinju is developing its capabilities in advanced industries, including aerospace, based on K-Entrepreneurship," he said. "I hope the two cities will share their experiences, identify cooperative projects that build on each other's strengths, and grow together."

About 50 people attended the signing ceremony, including Mayor Lee, Mayor Cho, Yongin Special City Council Chair Jang Jeongsun, and Jinju City Council Chair Park Migyeong.

Mayor Lee particularly highlighted the potential for cooperation between the two cities in advanced industries.

"Yongin was where Samsung Electronics first launched Korea's semiconductor industry in 1983. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are now carrying out large-scale semiconductor investment projects at three locations in Yongin," Mayor Lee said. "We will work with Jinju, which is striving to advance its aerospace industry, to cooperate in advanced industries and promote active exchanges in agriculture as well."

Mayor Lee Sang-il delivers remarks at Jinju City Hall on the 16th. Courtesy of Yongin City.

Under the agreement, the two cities will pursue joint projects in various areas, including improving residents' welfare, exchanges between cultural organizations, promoting tourism resources, expanding markets for agricultural and specialty products, cooperation on festivals and exhibitions, sharing administrative information, and economic exchanges.

Through working-level consultations, they plan to link local festivals with tourism resources, expand opportunities to distribute and sell agricultural and specialty products, and share effective administrative policies. They will also gradually develop projects that deliver tangible benefits to residents.

Mayor Lee also expressed strong interest in Jinju's signature cultural event, the Namgang Yudeung Festival.

"The Namgang Yudeung Festival gave me a chance to see Jinju's outstanding cultural and artistic capabilities, and I learned a great deal," Mayor Lee said. "It made me think that we should work to make festivals in Yongin even richer and more diverse."

He added, "I visited the K-Entrepreneurship Center in Seungsan Village, Jisu-myeon, Jinju, as well as the birthplaces of the founders of major conglomerates such as LG and GS. Just as LG and GS have maintained a long-standing relationship, I hope Yongin and Jinju will cherish and nurture the ties they have formed through this agreement."

Jinju Mayor Cho Gyuil responded, "It is meaningful to establish a sister-city relationship with Yongin Special City, which is growing into a hub of Korea's advanced industries. I hope we will become reliable partners who grow together by sharing our strengths and complementing each other's shortcomings."

Yongin Special Mayor Lee Sangil (second from right) poses for a commemorative photo holding the agreement with Jinju Mayor Cho Gyuil (second from left), Yongin City Council Chair Jang Jeongsoon (far right), and Jinju City Council Chair Park Mikyung (far left) at the sister-city agreement signing ceremony between Yongin Special City and Jinju City, held at Jinju City Hall on the 16th. Provided by Yongin City.

With this sister-city agreement, Jinju became Yongin Special City's 19th sister city in South Korea. Yongin has sister-city relationships with 19 cities in the country, including Jinju, and has also signed a friendship-city exchange agreement with Pohang.

Mayor Lee and the Yongin delegation had visited Jinju for a two-day, one-night trip starting October 15 to explore the city's major cultural, tourism, and historical resources.

On October 15, they boarded the "Kim Simin-ho" cruise boat on the Namgang River with Jinju officials, including Mayor Cho, to view the lanterns illuminating the riverside and visit the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival grounds.

At the festival, Mayor Lee personally wrote on a wish lantern, "Wishing for the growth of Yongin Special City and Jinju City and the happiness of the residents of both cities," expressing his hopes for the two cities' prosperity.

On October 16, the delegation visited the Jinju K-Entrepreneurship Center and Seungsan Village in Jisu-myeon, where the birthplaces of the founders of major Korean companies, including Samsung, LG, and GS, are located, to learn about Jinju's entrepreneurial spirit and historical assets.

Participants in the agreement signing ceremony pose for a commemorative photo with Mayor Lee Sangil at Jinju City Hall on the 16th. Photo courtesy of Yongin City.

Mayor Lee said, "It is important for this sister-city agreement to lead to practical cooperation that benefits residents' lives, rather than being merely a friendly relationship between cities. We will work with Jinju to ensure that both cities grow together in a range of fields, including the economy and industry, as well as culture, tourism, and agriculture."

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