'50 Years of Exchange' Chuncheon-si and Japan's Hofu-shi Hold Cooperation 'Agreement' Signing Ceremony

Held at Hofu City Hall on the 11th...
Future-oriented projects to be promoted based on trust
Mayor Yuk presents 'Baeknyeonjiu' calligraphy work...
"A new starting point for the next 50 years"

Chuncheon City, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Mayor Yuk Dong-han) announced on the 11th that Hofu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan (Mayor Ikeda Yutaka) agreed on friendly exchanges to mark the 50th anniversary of their relationship.

Yuk Dong-han, Mayor of Chuncheon (left), and Ikeda Yutaka, Mayor of Hofu City, Japan, held a signing ceremony for an "Agreement" on the 11th at the Hofu City Hall in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, to strengthen friendship based on trust and respect and to open the future in celebration of the 50th anniversary of exchange between the two cities. Photo by Chuncheon City Hall

According to this agreement, the two cities will further deepen their friendly relations based on trust and respect, and promote projects to develop future-oriented exchanges.

Location of Chuncheon City and Hohhot City. Image captured from Google Maps

According to Chuncheon City, at 10 a.m. on the same day, a signing ceremony for the agreement between Chuncheon City and Hofu City was held at Hofu City Hall in Japan.

The signing ceremony was attended by Yuk Dong-han, Mayor of Chuncheon, Kang Ho-jeung from the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hiroshima, Ryu Jong-su, former Mayor of Chuncheon, Ikeda Yutaka, Mayor of Hofu, and Yasumura Masaji, Chairman of Hofu City Council.

According to the agreement, the two cities will promote dialogue and regular mutual exchanges to maintain their friendly relations in the future.

In particular, former Mayor Ryu Jong-su also participated in the signing ceremony. During his third term as the elected Mayor of Chuncheon, Ryu actively laid the foundation for the sister city relationship and exchanges between Chuncheon and Hofu. He played an important role in enhancing the friendship between the two cities and continues to contribute to exchanges between them.

On this day, Mayor Yuk Dong-han of Chuncheon presented a calligraphy work titled Baeknyeonjiu (百年之友) by Professor Emeritus Hwang Jae-guk of Kangwon National University as a gift.

The work, which means “a friend whose deep friendship lasts unchanged for a hundred years,” commemorates the friendship between the two cities and expresses hopes for continued unchanging cooperation.

Following this, Mayor Yuk and his delegation toured the new Hofu City Hall and visited institutions related to the elderly, care, and culture, such as the Hofu Northern Comprehensive Support Center and the Ai Family Center, to listen to opinions on exchange fields.

Mayor Yuk said, “Since Hofu City and Chuncheon established their sister city relationship, they have shared sincerity and built deep friendship over 50 years in various fields such as sports, culture, and education. I hope this moment becomes a new starting point that connects the past 50 years of friendship and opens the next 50 years together.”

Meanwhile, according to Chuncheon City, exchanges between Chuncheon and Hofu began in 1975 with the first Chuncheon-Hofu Korea-Japan Friendship Track and Field Exchange Competition.

Later, in October 1991, they became sister cities, and the two cities actively exchanged in various fields such as youth exchange programs, elementary and middle school student exchanges, and council member exchanges. However, due to internal and external circumstances, exchanges were suspended after July 2008.

Since last year, Mayor Yuk has taken the lead in efforts to resume exchanges with Hofu City. A delegation from Chuncheon, led by Vice Mayor Hyun Joon-tae, visited Hofu City last year, met with Mayor Ikeda Yutaka, and delivered a letter from Mayor Yuk Dong-han of Chuncheon.