'Icheon Ceramic Festival' Becomes a Venue for International Exchange Beyond a Local Festival

US, France, Japan, and China Sister City Delegations Visit in Succession

'Icheon Ceramic Festival,' the representative festival of Icheon City, Gyeonggi Province, is establishing itself as a platform for exchange and cooperation with major overseas cities.

On the 2nd, Icheon City announced that delegations from major sister cities including Limoges, France; Koka, Japan; Dengdezhen, Weifang, and Suzhou, China; and Santa Fe and Santa Clara, USA, visited the festival venue and key city institutions one after another to attend the '38th Icheon Ceramic Festival,' which has been held since the 25th of last month, and to discuss intercity cooperation plans.

Kim Kyung-hee, Mayor of Icheon (left), is having a conversation with Isabelle Debord, Deputy Mayor of Limoges, France, who visited the city hall.
[Photo by Icheon City]

The delegation from Limoges, France, led by Vice Mayor Isabelle Debord, visited Korea Tourism College and Korea Ceramic High School to discuss mutual exchange and cooperation plans. Limoges proposed an exchange between Limoges Culinary School and Korea Tourism College during this visit. The city explained that Limoges plans to hold related events next year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their sister city relationship.

The Santa Fe delegation from the United States also visited Korea Ceramic High School and proposed mutual stay learning and artwork sales between students of the two cities. The Koka City delegation from Japan discussed plans to promote commemorative events such as inviting the Icheon Cultural Center Citizen Exchange Group and the Icheon Turtle Play Preservation Society Performance Group to mark the 20th anniversary of Koka City's establishment.

Kim Kyung-hee, Mayor of Icheon City, said, "Through continuous and active exchange activities with overseas sister cities, we hope for mutual prosperity and development as well as the implementation of practical exchange projects."

Meanwhile, the Icheon Ceramic Festival is being held until the 6th at the Icheon Ceramic Art Village (Yes Park) and the Sagimakgol Ceramic Village area.