Busan and Nagasaki Prefecture Open Wide the Doors to Tourism Exchange

Lee Joonseung, Vice Mayor for Administrative Affairs, Discusses Cooperation with Nagasaki Vice Governor
Friendship and Cooperation City Agreement Signed in 2014, Strengthening Cultural Projects and More

Busan and Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan have opened the doors wide for tourism exchange.

The Busan Metropolitan Government (Mayor Park Hyungjoon) announced on April 23 that, at 3 p.m. on April 22, a delegation from Nagasaki Prefecture?including Vice Governor Baba Yuko, Nagasaki Prefecture Tourism Federation Chairman Shimazaki Masahide, and others?met with Busan Vice Mayor for Administrative Affairs Lee Joonseung in the International Protocol Room at City Hall to discuss mutual exchange and cooperation between Busan and Nagasaki Prefecture.

With exchanges between Busan and Japan increasing, the delegation from Nagasaki Prefecture visited to discuss various ways to promote exchange and cooperation between the two regions and to consult on cooperation in the field of tourism.

The delegation consisted of a total of nine members, including the Vice Governor of Nagasaki Prefecture and the Chairman of the Nagasaki Prefecture Tourism Federation.

Vice Mayor Lee Joonseung began by saying, "Nagasaki Prefecture signed a friendship and cooperation city agreement with Busan in 2014, and we have been actively exchanging ever since. Now, it has been more than ten years."

Last year, Busan and Nagasaki Prefecture celebrated the 10th anniversary of their friendship and cooperation city agreement by holding a book donation ceremony and a photo exhibition. In addition, they have been strengthening cooperation through various projects such as the Joseon Tongsinsa cultural exchange project and the Korea-China-Japan multilateral exchange project.

Vice Mayor Lee emphasized, "Busan is an attractive tourist city where diverse businesses and cultures converge. I hope that tourism exchanges between the two cities, which are physically close thanks to various transportation options such as air and sea routes, will become even more active."

He also introduced the future of Busan tourism, saying, "When the new Gadeokdo Airport opens in 2029, exchanges between Busan and Nagasaki Prefecture will become even more active. In the second half of the year, various events such as Festival October, the Busan International Film Festival, and the Busan Fireworks Festival will be held in Busan."

Baba Yuko, Vice Governor of Nagasaki Prefecture, responded, "Through this visit, I was able to see the potential for Busan to become a world-class tourist city. We will also encourage many Nagasaki residents to visit Busan."

She added, "Although Busan and Nagasaki differ in city size, they share many similarities in terms of geography and cultural characteristics. I hope that both cities will achieve mutual development in tourism and various other fields."

Vice Mayor Lee Joonseung said, "Historically, Busan has been the gateway of Korea, promoting exchange and cooperation with Japan. We will strive to make Busan a global hub city, and for this, close cooperation with major cities in Japan is essential."