Paju City Delegation to Depart on 3rd for Visit to Gloucester, UK

Attendance at the Sister City Agreement Ceremony with Gloucester County, UK, and Exploration of Exchange Plans

A delegation from Gloucestershire, England, visiting Paju City in 2023, posing for a commemorative photo.

The delegation from Paju City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Kyung-il) will depart on the 3rd to sign a sister city agreement with its overseas sister city, Gloucester City in the United Kingdom, and to discuss mutual exchange plans between the two cities.

According to Paju City on the 1st, this visit, scheduled for 4 nights and 6 days, is in response to an official invitation from Gloucester City, and local residents from Seolmari, where the Battle of Imjin River took place during the Korean War, will also participate in the visit.

Paju City completed preliminary procedures such as submitting a consent proposal to the Paju City Council in September for the sister city agreement with Gloucester City.

Paju City and Gloucester City, UK, marked the 10th anniversary of their exchange this year since signing the sister city MOU in 2014.

With this visit, the two cities plan to elevate their relationship from 'friendly cities' to 'sister cities,' thereby strengthening exchange and cooperation in various fields including culture, history, economy, education, and youth, to promote mutual friendship and joint development.

Gloucester City, boasting a history of 2,000 years, is the capital of Gloucestershire in the South West England region of the UK and is a multicultural city rich in medieval heritage, including Gloucester Cathedral.

The Gloucestershire Regiment, based in Gloucester City, participated in the Korean War and suffered many casualties during the Battle of Imjin River (April 1951), defending Seoul against the full-scale offensive by Chinese forces. The exchange between Paju City and Gloucester City began based on this historical connection.

Gloucester City hosts facilities related to Paju such as the Soldiers Museum, Imjin Base, and Paju Road, while Paju City has strengthened mutual friendship by naming the suspension bridge at Gamaksan in Seolmari, Jeokseong-myeon, as the "Gloucester Heroes Bridge."