"Expectations for Deepening Cultural Understanding and Strengthening Cooperation Between the Two Cities"
Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for 'Smart Digital Library' Built with City ODA
On the 26th (local time), Lee Sang-il, mayor of Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province, held a meeting with Le Van Trung, Chairman of the Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee (Governor of Quang Nam Province), and other high-ranking local officials at the Quang Nam Provincial Office in Vietnam to discuss ways to promote exchange and cooperation between the two cities, the city announced on the 27th.
Lee Sang-il, Mayor of Yongin, Yoo Jin-seon, Chairperson of the Yongin City Council, and other representatives of Yongin City are discussing ways to promote friendly cooperation between the two cities during a meeting with the delegation from Quang Nam Province, Vietnam. Photo by Yongin City
Attending the meeting from Yongin City were Mayor Lee, Yoo Jin-seon, Chairperson of the Yongin City Council, Lee Chang-sik, Vice Chairperson, and other city council members. From Quang Nam Province, attendees included Chairman Le Van Trung, Vice Chairperson of the People's Council Tran Xuan Binh, Deputy Secretary-General of the People's Committee Nguyen Thi Tuy Trang, Director of the Science and Technology Department Nguyen Duc Phin, and Vice Chairperson of the Tam Ky City People's Committee Nguyen Minh Nam. Also present at the meeting was Kim Sang-sik, head coach of the Vietnam national football team, who was invited by Mayor Lee.
Mayor Lee Sang-il said, "I hope that today’s meeting will lead to serious discussions on ways to further activate exchanges and strengthen cooperation between the two cities."
Chairman Le Van Trung responded, "Quang Nam Province has established friendly cooperative relations with three cities in Korea, and many Korean companies have invested in Quang Nam. We hope to build even more active friendly cooperative relations with Yongin City in the future." At the meeting, Chairman Le Van Trung officially invited the city delegation to the 'International Nokrin Wild Ginseng Festival,' a representative festival of Quang Nam Province scheduled for July to August.
Mayor Lee also invited representatives from Quang Nam Province and Tam Ky City to the 'Citizen Festa, Joayang Character Festival' held in September to celebrate 'Yongin Special City Citizens' Day.'
Quang Nam Province, with a population of 1.64 million, is one of Vietnam’s 58 provinces, located in the central region. It consists of 2 cities, 1 town, and 15 districts, with a population of 1.64 million. The provincial capital is Tam Ky City. Notable cultural heritage sites include the My Son Sanctuary and the ancient town of Hoi An, both designated as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites.
The two cities agreed to strengthen cooperation in education, culture, tourism, and other fields, using the construction of a smart library in Tam Ky City's International Lotus Village as a starting point.
Lee Sang-il, Mayor of Yongin, and the Yongin city delegation are breaking ground at the groundbreaking ceremony of the "Yongin Smart Digital Library" held at the International Lotus Village in Tam Ky City, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam. Photo by Yongin City
On the same day, Mayor Lee signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Tam Ky City for the construction of the 'Yongin Smart Digital Library,' supported as an official development assistance (ODA) project by the city, at Tam Ky City Hall. He also attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the library held at the International Lotus Village Complex Education Welfare Center in Tam Ky City.
According to the 'Ordinance on the Promotion of Internationalization and International Exchange Cooperation of Yongin City,' the city decided to support the construction of the library in Tam Ky as part of ODA aimed at economic development and welfare improvement in developing countries, investing a budget of 200 million KRW. The library will be built on the site of the Complex Education Welfare Center within the International Lotus Village and will serve as a space for reading and learning for the citizens of Tam Ky.
Even after the library’s completion, the city plans to actively support cultural exchanges, experiential learning, and library operations to ensure that Tam Ky residents can use the library smoothly.
Mayor Lee said, "Libraries are the core of education, and history has proven that countries where citizens frequently use libraries develop. I am honored to hold the groundbreaking ceremony for the smart library for the citizens of Tam Ky with support from Yongin City. I hope the 'Yongin Smart Digital Library' to be built in Tam Ky will help enhance knowledge and development for the citizens of Tam Ky."
Nguyen Minh Nam, Vice Chairperson of the Tam Ky City People's Committee, said, "The library will be a very meaningful and precious gift to the citizens of Tam Ky. I hope that this meeting will serve as an opportunity for Tam Ky and Yongin City to build a stronger friendship and continue various cooperative relationships."
Following the signing of the MOU for the library construction, Mayor Lee and the city delegation moved to the International Lotus Village, where the library will be built, to hold the groundbreaking ceremony. The library, to be built on a 510-pyeong site with a building area of 120 pyeong, is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.
Meanwhile, the International Lotus Village Comprehensive Welfare Town is a Korean-style welfare town established locally in 2015 within the International Lotus Village. It includes a vocational training center equipped with lecture rooms and practice rooms for talent development, a Korean language school, and a daycare center. Most recently, it became the first in Vietnam to establish and operate a nursing home, a facility for elderly welfare.
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