Suwon Special City, City of King Jeongjo, Forms Sister City Relationship with 'King Jeongjo Destroyer'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Suwon Special City, the planned city created by King Jeongjo, and the Navy's Aegis destroyer 'King Jeongjo Destroyer' have signed a sister city partnership agreement.

The sister city partnership ceremony held on the deck of the King Jeongjo Destroyer on the 21st was attended by Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-joon, Suwon City Council Chairman Lee Jae-sik, King Jeongjo Destroyer Commander Colonel Cho Wan-hee and his crew, and Representative Kim Jun-hyuk (Suwon District), among others.

The sister city partnership ceremony began with a celebratory performance of 'Muyae 24-gi' (Twenty-Four Martial Arts Postures), created by King Jeongjo.

Subsequently, under the auspices of the Hwaseong Research Association, a Goyu-je (Reporting Ceremony) was held at the stern of the King Jeongjo Destroyer to pray for the safety of the ship and its crew and the successful completion of their missions.

Goyu-je is a ritual ceremony in which one reports significant national, social, or family matters to spiritual beings.

Suwon City has maintained its relationship with the Navy for nearly 40 years, having formed sister city partnerships with the Navy's 'Suwon Destroyer' (decommissioned in 2010) in 1986 and the 'Eulji Mundeok Destroyer' in 2011.

Commander Cho Wan-hee of the King Jeongjo Destroyer said in his welcoming remarks, "The King Jeongjo Destroyer and Suwon Special City share a common ground in inheriting the will of King Jeongjo, who aspired to a prosperous and strong nation. Both organizations will pursue various exchange activities to cooperate in multiple areas and achieve mutual growth and development."

Mayor Lee Jae-joon said in his commemorative remarks, "I hope the special bond between Suwon City and the King Jeongjo Destroyer, brought together by King Jeongjo, will continue long and deep. I express my gratitude to the service members who work hard at sea to protect our nation."

The King Jeongjo Destroyer, the Republic of Korea Navy's first 8,200-ton-class Aegis destroyer, is expected to serve as a key asset protecting Korean waters based on the latest Aegis combat system and integrated sonar system developed with domestic technology, as well as the Korean Vertical Launch System-II. It was commissioned in December 2024 and is scheduled for operational deployment in 2025 after completing its operationalization process.