Gwangju City News

From the Gwangju Metropolitan City Press Release (http://gwangju.go.kr)

Mayor Kang Ki-Jung: “Economic Vitality Through European City Diplomacy”

Mayor Kang met with European Union ambassadors and said, “Let’s build a close relationship with Gwangju, which is called the city of will, art, and beauty, through cooperation between cities.”

Mayor Kang made this remark at City Hall on December 8 during an interview with Maria Castillo Fernandez, the European Union Ambassador to Korea, and the ambassadors to Korea from 19 European Union countries.

Mayor Kang explained what meaning Gwangju has to the Republic of Korea, what charms and strengths it has, and suggested strengthening diplomatic cooperation between Gwangju and Europe.

First, Mayor Kang said, “Gwangju is the political hometown of former President Kim Dae-jung, the first Korean to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and is called a city of ‘will’ with righteous DNA that stands up to injustice.”

In addition, Mayor Kang said, “The Asia Culture Center (ACC) is located in the May 18 Democracy Square (formerly Jeonnam Provincial Office), which was the center of the Gwangju Uprising.” “This is also the reason why Gwangju is called the city of art,” he said. In particular, Mayor Kang emphasized, “Now, Gwangju is moving beyond a city of democracy and culture to a city of economic vitality.”

Mayor Kang expressed his intention to invite the diplomats to the Gwangju Biennale next year, saying, “I hope to communicate and exchange with various countries of the European Union through city diplomacy.”

Ambassador Fernandez said, “Gwangju is a city full of history that values democracy and human rights, and at a time when eco-friendly digital transformation is very important, Gwangju is preparing for the future. Let’s build a strong relationship.”

The EU is a huge community of 27 member states and maintains a strategic partnership with Korea. Gwangju City’s visit by the European Union ambassadors to Korea is one of the best reasons to build cooperative relationships not only in the cultural industry, but also in artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, next-generation batteries, self-driving cars, precision medicine, and MICE industries to foster globalization. This meeting is hoped to be a starting point.

After visiting the Gwangju Museum of Art, the European Union ambassadors to Korea and ambassadors to Korea from 19 European countries visited Gwangju Global Motors and the Ecofriendly Parts Certification Center in the Gwangju Free Economic Zone’s Future Automobile Industry District to examine the current situation there.

▲ Gwangju City Mayor Kang Ki-Jung (front row, fifth from left) and the delegation of the European Union.

Mayor Kang Ki-Jung “to Expand Human, Material, and Economic Exchanges with China”

Gwangju Mayor Kang Ki-Jung met Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming at City Hall on December 9 to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and China and discuss ways to expand exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.

Ambassador Xing visited Gwangju for the first time that day to attend the General Assembly of 24 Confucian Schools established across the country. Ambassador Xing wrote in the guest book, “I hope that Gwangju, a city of opportunity that will shine tomorrow, will develop even more.”

Mayor Kang said, “The Chinese Consulate General is located in Gwangju, and we are actively exchanging in various fields.”

In particular, he conveyed his willingness to actively attract investment, saying, “In order to implement exchanges between people and of goods, it is necessary to improve transportation conditions, such as air travel, but there are not many international flights at Muan Airport, so we are making various efforts to solve this problem."

In response, Ambassador Xing said, “Although it has been 30 years since Korea and China established diplomatic ties, we have been neighbors for thousands of years and have a close cultural and economic relationship.”

He continued, “In particular, as Honam is geographically close, I hope that Mayor Kang will play a significant role in the future so that we can actively exchange culturally and economically and achieve a win-win situation.”

▲ Gwangju City Mayor Kang Ki-Jung (left) with Chinese Ambassador to Korea Xing Haiming.