Pyeongtaek City and Gongju City Establish Sister City Relationship Rich with Thousand Years of History

[Suwon Ilbo=Park Chan-hyeok, Reporter] Pyeongtaek City announced on the 12th that it has established a sister city agreement with Gongju City at Pyeongtaek City Hall and promised to expand exchanges in various fields including administration, economy, culture, sports, tourism, and agriculture.

At the agreement ceremony, Pyeongtaek Mayor Jung Jang-sun, Pyeongtaek City Council Chairman Kang Jeong-gu, Gongju Mayor Choi Won-chul, Gongju City Council Chairman Lim Dal-hee, and private delegations from both cities were present to reaffirm their commitment to mutual cooperation.

According to Pyeongtaek City, this sister city relationship was pursued to provide broader opportunities for traditional and cultural experiences through cooperation with Gongju City, a city representative of Korea's history and cultural heritage.

In particular, the city explained that it joined hands with Gongju City to make it easier for the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) stationed in Pyeongtaek and their families to access the beauty and value of Korean culture.

To this end, the city plans to implement benefits such as discounts at tourist attractions and cultural facilities.

Additionally, both cities plan to strengthen practical cooperation in various fields including △exchange performances by municipal art groups, △exchanges at rural experience vacation villages, △cooperation in developing distribution channels for local agricultural products and local food exchanges.

Mayor Jung Jang-sun said, "Gongju City is a city breathing with a thousand years of Baekje history and tradition," and added, "Through this agreement with Gongju City, I expect our citizens to enjoy history and tradition more closely and to naturally convey our culture to USFK."

Gongju Mayor Choi Won-chul also stated, "Pyeongtaek City is a major economic city leading the growth engine of the Republic of Korea," and said, "I hope this sister city relationship will create new opportunities for both cities."