Kim Hyun-ki, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, Receives Mongolia Ulaanbaatar's Highest Honor 'Hangard'

On August 16, Chairman of the Ulaanbaatar City Council awarded the highest honor... Contributed to the development of Ulaanbaatar and promotion of cooperation

Since the Seoul Metropolitan Council and Ulaanbaatar City Council formed a sisterhood in 1997, active exchanges have continued for 26 years

Chairman Kim Hyun-ki: “We will actively share public administration know-how in areas such as transportation, housing, and environment to create synergy between the cities”

Kim Hyun-ki, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, received the highest honor, the ‘Hangard Medal,’ from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in recognition of his contribution to enhancing cooperation between the two cities. The Hangard is the white eagle, a symbol of Ulaanbaatar.

The medal awarding ceremony took place on the 16th at the Ulaanbaatar City Council in Mongolia, presented by Chairman Batbayasgalan Jantsan.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council stated that it was highly recognized for actively sharing Seoul’s public administration know-how in construction, transportation, and creating a pleasant living environment, contributing to the development of Ulaanbaatar.

Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia and its largest industrial center. Since forming a sisterhood with the Ulaanbaatar City Council in 1997, the Seoul Metropolitan Council has maintained active exchanges. Seoul and Ulaanbaatar established a friendship agreement in 1995.

Earlier in May, Dolgorsuren Sumiyabazar, Mayor of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, visited the Seoul Metropolitan Council to discuss exchange and cooperation between the two cities.

The Ulaanbaatar delegation visited major Seoul institutions and facilities including the Seoul Metropolitan Council, Seoul City Hall, Han River Project Headquarters, Climate Environment Headquarters, and Seoul Transportation Information System (TOPIS), discussing exchange and cooperation in various fields such as traffic congestion prevention and green space development.

To commemorate the 26th anniversary of the exchange between the two councils, the Ulaanbaatar City Council officially invited the Seoul Metropolitan Council delegation. Chairman Kim Hyun-ki and the delegation visited Ulaanbaatar for four nights and five days from the 14th to the 18th.

The delegation, consisting of Chairman Kim Hyun-ki, Choi Ho-jung, leader of the People Power Party, Lee Byung-yoon, vice-chairman of the Transportation Committee, Kim Tae-su, vice-chairman of the Housing and Spatial Committee, and Lee Bong-jun, chairman of the Urban Railway Underground Special Committee, visited the Ulaanbaatar City Council and Ulaanbaatar City Hall, and met with Sainbuyan Amarsaikhan, Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia, to discuss exchange cooperation and shared interests.

They also visited the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Mongolia, where they heard from Kim Jong-gu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to Mongolia, about the status of Korean residents and exchanges between the two countries. They visited the memorial park of Lee Tae-jun, known as the ‘Schweitzer of Mongolia,’ honoring his dedication to national independence and noble philanthropic spirit.

In particular, Kim Hyun-ki, who is also the chairman of the National Council of Chairpersons of Local Assemblies, requested Mongolia’s active support for the 2030 Busan World Expo bid. The Mayor of Ulaanbaatar conveyed that the Mongolian Prime Minister has already officially declared support and that Ulaanbaatar City will also actively support the bid.

Chairman Kim Hyun-ki said, “Seoul and Ulaanbaatar share the commonality of being the capitals of Korea and Mongolia, respectively, and have been actively sharing public administration know-how that Seoul has experienced and solved over decades in areas such as population concentration, transportation, housing, and environment, which come with urban development. I am honored to receive this valuable medal in recognition of these efforts.”

He added, “Mongolia is a priority cooperation country for our government’s ODA, and has high potential for cooperation in various fields such as economy, trade, resources, and climate change response. To achieve mutually beneficial results, efforts are needed not only from the government but also from local councils and local governments. We will continue to actively exchange and cooperate to create synergy between the two cities.”