Yongin Signs Sister City Agreement with Williamson County, Texas

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Choi Ki-ho] Yongin Special City established a sister city relationship with Williamson County, Texas on the 28th, where numerous semiconductor and fourth industrial revolution-related companies are located.

This is the first time Yongin has formed a sister city relationship with a county, an upper-tier administrative division compared to a city in the United States.

Williamson County oversees 27 cities including Taylor City. It is a rapidly growing city with a monthly population increase of approximately 4,000 people, making it the third-largest city in Texas by population with 700,000 residents.

In Taylor City within Williamson County, Samsung Electronics is undertaking a major construction project to build a foundry semiconductor production line (Fab) on a 1.5 million-pyeong site with a 61 trillion won (44 billion dollar) investment.

The sister city agreement ceremony held on the 28th in the press conference room on the first floor of Mir Stadium in Samga-dong, Choin-gu, was attended by Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il, Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell, and Taylor City Mayor Dwayne Ariola, among others.

The sister city agreement is a follow-up measure after the two regions exchanged a memorandum of understanding in February this year to cooperate in developing future industries such as semiconductors and IT.

Under the agreement, the two cities will work together to promote friendly exchanges among residents in a spirit of mutual equality and reciprocal benefit, and will make efforts to communicate and cooperate for development in all sectors including administration, economy, culture and tourism, education, and the private sector.

Furthermore, the two regions, which are developing mega-scale industrial complexes through Samsung Electronics' massive investment as a world-class semiconductor company, agreed to expand the semiconductor ecosystem together and strengthen semiconductor industry competitiveness through mutual exchange and cooperation.

The two regions will also share best practices to enhance citizen welfare through official delegation exchanges and activate various public and private exchanges in education, culture, sports, and other fields. Yongin Special City also agreed to cooperate in communications with overseas Koreans residing in Williamson County.

Based on Williamson County's active willingness to engage in exchanges, the city plans to seek ways to cooperate so that inter-company exchanges are actively conducted in sectors such as semiconductors.

Mayor Lee Sang-il said, "I find it very meaningful to establish a sister city relationship after exchanging a memorandum of understanding with Williamson County in February this year, with the intention of engaging in more active exchange and cooperation for the prosperity and development of both regions. Yongin Special City and Williamson County have unlimited potential as they are developing around semiconductors and other fourth industrial revolution industries, so if we cooperate mutually, we will achieve a win-win effect in economics and many other aspects."

County Judge Bill Gravell said, "I attended this event and established the sister city relationship with the belief that through active exchanges with Yongin Special City, it will be a great force in opening a new world as future generations of both regions produce semiconductor chips."

Taylor City Mayor Dwayne Ariola said, "I am honored to attend as a representative of Taylor City at this wonderful occasion where Yongin Special City and Williamson County are forming a sister city relationship. I am always grateful that thanks to Korea's Samsung Electronics' significant investment, future generations in Taylor City can enjoy happier lives within the city."