Celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Bac Ninh City's Independence, Understanding the History of Sister Cities
Request for Swift Cooperation in Promoting Saemaul Overseas Model Village Project
The Gumi City delegation, led by Mayor Kim Jangho, is visiting Bac Ninh City, Vietnam, from August 6 to 9 for four days and three nights to conduct local diplomacy aimed at strengthening friendly relations.
Kim Jangho, Mayor of Gumi, visits Bac Ninh City Hall and meets with the Bac Ninh City Party Secretary.
On the first day of the visit, August 6, the delegation met with Ta Dang Doan, Party Secretary of Bac Ninh City, and other Bac Ninh City officials to congratulate them on the 70th anniversary of Bac Ninh City's independence.
During the meeting with the Party Secretary, Mayor Kim Jangho emphasized, "I appreciate the strengthened cooperation between Korea and Vietnam in various fields such as politics, economy, culture, and human exchange, and we will continue to work towards reinforcing the friendly and cooperative relationship between our two cities."
The Bac Ninh City representatives expressed their gratitude to Gumi City for attending Bac Ninh City's largest annual event, the "70th Anniversary of Bac Ninh City's Independence." In particular, Party Secretary Ta Dang Doan recalled witnessing the development of Gumi City during his visit last year and expressed hope for continued diverse exchanges and cooperation projects between the two cities.
Mayor Kim also announced the upcoming Gumi Ramen Festival (November 2024) and the Asian Athletics Championships (May 2025), inviting Bac Ninh City to participate. In response, the Party Secretary of Bac Ninh stated, "Bac Ninh Province plans to participate in the Gumi Ramen Festival, and Bac Ninh City will also consider joining."
The delegation discussed ways to strengthen economic cooperation, cultural and artistic exchanges, and human exchanges between the two cities. They especially requested Bac Ninh City's support for the business activities of 19 Gumi companies operating in Bac Ninh City.
On the 7th, the delegation visited the Bac Ninh Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and discussed agricultural cooperation among Gumi City, Bac Ninh City, and Bac Ninh Province with Director Nguyen Song Ha. Afterwards, they visited the site of the Saemaul Overseas Pilot Village project in Hoa Dinh Village, Bo Keng-dong, Bac Ninh City.
Mayor Kim asked Director Nguyen Song Ha, who joined the site visit, for Bac Ninh Province's cooperation in establishing the Saemaul Overseas Pilot Village, stating, "Gumi City is also participating in the Saemaul international development cooperation (ODA) project."
The delegation then visited Bac Ninh Industrial College, the largest vocational college in Bac Ninh Province, which trains over 3,000 technical talents. In a meeting with the college president, they promoted Gumi City and requested cooperation in attracting foreign talent to address local depopulation. They also attended an international exchange agreement ceremony between Bac Ninh Industrial College and Kumoh Technical High School (Meister High School), pledging Gumi City's commitment to promoting youth exchange activities between the two countries.
On the 8th, the delegation visited Gumi companies operating in Vietnam and held a tripartite meeting among Gumi City, the Vietnam Economic Development Institute, and representatives of Gumi companies in Vietnam. Mayor Kim Jangho expressed his expectation for active support from the Vietnamese government to resolve the difficulties faced by Gumi companies during the meeting with officials from the Vietnam Economic Development Institute.
Bac Ninh City, the capital of Bac Ninh Province, was the first investment site for Samsung Electronics in Vietnam and is now the center of Vietnam's electronics and high-tech industries. Of the 44 Gumi companies operating in Vietnam, 19 have established corporations in Bac Ninh City.
Since signing a friendship city agreement with Bac Ninh City on October 19, 2022, Gumi City has expanded exchanges and cooperation through economic exchange meetings and joint cultural performances. The city plans to further strengthen the partnership between the two cities in various fields including economy, culture, education, and technology.
Vietnam's Independence Day is September 2, 1945. Since Vietnam was under dual rule by France and Japan during World War II, the day when Japan surrendered to the Allied forces in 1945 is commemorated as Independence Day.
However, from December 1946 to August 1954, Vietnam fought the First Indochina War against France. After the Geneva Agreement in 1954, French troops withdrew sequentially from different regions of Vietnam. Bac Ninh City separately commemorates its own Independence Day on August 8, 1954, the day French troops withdrew from Bac Ninh City.
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