Bridging the World Beyond Cultural Barriers... Gwangmyeong City Opens a New Chapter in Youth International Exchanges

Young people from four countries spend three weeks together in Gwangmyeong
Learn about Korean culture and explore local initiatives
10 young people from international sister cities take part
Mayor Park Seungwon: “Expand exchanges so young people can learn from one another and grow”

Gwangmyeong City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Park Seungwon), wrapped up the “First Korean Language and Korean Culture Experience Program” on Oct. 21. The program invited 10 young people from four international sister cities in Germany, the United States, China and Japan.

Gwangmyeong Mayor Park Seungwon poses for a commemorative photo with attendees at the first Gwangmyeong International Sister City Korean Language and Culture Experience Program Results Sharing Session, held in the city hall's conference room on the 21st. Provided by Gwangmyeong City.

The program ran for three weeks starting Oct. 1, giving young people from overseas the opportunity to stay in Gwangmyeong, learn about Korean language and culture, and engage with the local community.

Participants took Korean language classes, tried on hanbok and visited cultural heritage sites in Gyeongju. At Youth-dong, a hub for young people, they learned about Gwangmyeong City’s youth policies. They also visited the 1.5°C Climate Militia Support Center, the Upcycle Art Center, a strawberry smart farm and the Gureumsan Cooperative to see examples of carbon-neutral practices and efforts to boost the local economy.

They also met local residents by taking part in events marking Gwangmyeong Citizens’ Day, Festival Gwangmyeong, a peace and unification train tour, an international forum on community assetization, and a lifelong learning festival.

Local young people served as “Gwangmyeong Global Youth Supporters,” helping overseas participants communicate and take part in the program. They introduced Gwangmyeong’s culture and everyday life, and spent time engaging with local organizations, including the Youth Committee and the Advisory Council on Democratic and Peaceful Unification.

At a results-sharing session on Oct. 21, the city shared a video of the activities, presentations on outcomes by country, participants’ reflections and the results of the supporters’ exchange activities.

“The process of understanding different cultures and discovering shared values is the beginning of peace and solidarity,” Gwangmyeong Mayor Park Seungwon said. “We will continue to expand exchanges so that young people can experience the cultures of cities around the world, learn from one another and grow.”

Meanwhile, Gwangmyeong City has sister-city ties with four cities overseas—Osnabrück in Germany, Austin in the United States, Liaocheng in China and Yamato in Japan—and engages in exchanges across various fields.

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