Oh Se-hoon: "Busan-Seoul Must Unite for Economic 'Quantum Jump'"

Busan Mayor Park Hyung-jun Gives Special Lecture at Seoul City Hall

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon met with Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon to emphasize cooperation between Seoul and Busan for national economic development.

Mayor Oh made these remarks on the afternoon of the 30th at Seoul City Hall during the 'Special Lecture Inviting Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon.' Prior to this lecture, Mayor Oh visited Busan on the 23rd of last month and gave a special lecture to Busan City Hall officials under the theme 'Companion and Attractive Special City Seoul.'

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (left) and Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon are taking a commemorative photo after the 'Special Lecture Inviting the Busan Mayor' held at Seoul City Hall on the afternoon of the 30th. Photo by Seoul City

Mayor Park delivered a special lecture titled 'Busan, the Last Bastion for a Sustainable Korea.' He stated, "If we do not alleviate and overcome the unipolar system centered on the metropolitan area, it will be difficult to solve the hurdles and challenges Korea faces. I believe that properly developing Busan into a global hub city is the way to save Korea. I ask those in Seoul to offer much support as well."

In response, Mayor Oh emphasized that both Seoul and Busan must strive amid global urban competition. After Mayor Park concluded his lecture, Mayor Oh said, "Busan’s perspective has already shifted to a global viewpoint. It seems that you are setting cities with similar geopolitical conditions to Busan, such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Dubai, as rivals or competitors rather than domestic cities. Seoul should also aim to surpass cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Tokyo."

He added, "Seoul and Busan each must work hard to create a groundbreaking turning point that can enable a quantum leap in Korea’s economic development. I believe this involves a spirited alliance between Seoul and Busan."