Sister-City Guests Reunite at the "Fireworks Festival"... Busan and Shimonoseki Mark 50 Years of Sister-City Ties

11-member delegation, including Shimonoseki mayor, visits Busan

Tours North Port and Busan Museum of Art... Continues cultural and tourism exchanges

Have you heard of Busan's sister city, Shimonoseki?

Busan and Shimonoseki, Japan, celebrated the 50th anniversary of their sister-city relationship together at the Busan Fireworks Festival. The two coastal neighbors looked back on half a century of exchanges and pledged to build on their friendship for the next 50 years.

A delegation of 11, including Shimonoseki Mayor Shintaro Maeda and City Council Speaker Shinichiro Hayashi, visited Busan on November 7 and 8. The visit followed a trip by a Busan City delegation to Shimonoseki in August, when they attended the Kanmon Strait Fireworks Festival.

A delegation from sister cities, including the mayor of Shimonoseki, visits Busan City and poses for a commemorative photo.

On the first day of their visit, the delegation toured the promotional hall for the North Port redevelopment project at Busan Port and heard about its progress. They also visited the areas around North Port that are being transformed by the redevelopment. In addition, they visited major cultural facilities in Busan to learn about urban regeneration and the use of cultural spaces.

At a welcoming event hosted by Busan City, the two cities looked back on the results of their exchanges and agreed to continue working together. In the evening, a message celebrating the 50th anniversary of their sister-city relationship was displayed on Gwangan Bridge, and the delegation watched the Busan Fireworks Festival.

Shimonoseki City also supported exchanges between residents. To mark the 50th anniversary of the sister-city relationship, it provided subsidies for travel packages to Busan that included attending the Busan Fireworks Festival.

The next day, the delegation visited the newly renovated Busan Museum of Art and viewed a special exhibition and works by artist Lee Ufan.

Busan and Shimonoseki have been connected since the time when Joseon Tongsinsa missions traveled between the two countries. Since establishing their sister-city relationship on October 11, 1976, they have continued exchanges in maritime affairs, tourism, and culture.

Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said, "The two cities have been close neighbors and partners, united by a longstanding historical connection." He added, "We will continue exchanges in various fields, including maritime affairs, tourism, and culture, and build a friendship for the next 50 years."

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