Joo Kyuil, Mayor of Jinju, Carries Out Extensive Global Marketing Activities in Germany

Consultations on Cultural Industry Cooperation with the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) State Parliament in Germany
Discussions on Youth Sports Exchange and Cooperation with Germany's Comprehensive Sports Club (TSC)

The Jinju City global delegation, led by Joo Kyuil, Mayor of Jinju, attracted attention by conducting global marketing activities in Germany.

The Jinju City delegation from Gyeongnam visited the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), the largest state in Germany, and met with Yvonne Gebauer, a member of parliament who is the former Minister of Education and current spokesperson for cultural policy. During the meeting, they introduced Jinju's outstanding cultural and artistic resources, such as Jinju Silk and the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival, as well as Jinju's K-Entrepreneurship, and exchanged opinions on various fields of cooperation and exchange, according to an announcement on the 30th.

Mayor Joo stated, "Jinju is a beautiful city where history and culture are alive, and it is rich in cultural content such as Jinju Silk and the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival. The 'Light of Korea - Jinju Silk Lanterns' exhibition in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Jinju Silk in Rio de Janeiro made a significant impact. Recently, Jinju has also become famous as the capital of Korean entrepreneurship."

Joo Kyuil, Mayor of Jinju, Visits Willow Pump.

Yvonne Gebauer expressed her admiration for the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival and Jinju Silk, saying, "I sincerely welcome the Jinju City delegation's visit to the NRW state parliament," and requested, "I hope to actively cooperate so that Jinju's excellent cultural content, 'Light of Korea - Jinju Silk Lanterns,' can be exhibited in NRW next year." In response, Mayor Joo Kyuil said he would discuss the possibility of organizing the exhibition next year in consultation with the Korean Cultural Center in Germany and other relevant organizations.

Hwang Jinseon, Vice Chairman of Jinju City Council, stated, "The Jinju City Council will also actively support the promotion of the 'Light of Korea - Jinju Silk Lanterns' exhibition so that Jinju's outstanding cultural asset, Jinju Silk, can be introduced in Germany."

The delegation also visited the headquarters of Willow Pump, a global company located in Dortmund, where they met with senior executives, including Georg Weber, CTO, and directors. They introduced Jinju's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) specializing in machinery and parts, as well as Jinju's K-Entrepreneurship, and discussed possible avenues for cooperation.

Mayor Joo requested, "There are many excellent SMEs related to machinery parts in Jinju. I hope that Willow Pump, as a world-leading company, will use high-quality machinery parts from Jinju so that these outstanding SMEs can enter the German market."

In response, Georg Weber, CTO of Willow Pump Group, said, "I sincerely welcome the Jinju City delegation's visit to the Willow Pump Group headquarters. Willow Pump's Asia plant is located in Busan. We will make active efforts to facilitate cooperation between the person in charge of the Asia region and companies from Jinju."

Willow Pump is a global group with a 152-year history. The Busan plant, established in 1993 as a joint venture with Korea's LG Group, has played a key role in the Asian market. The company is especially recognized for its world-class competitiveness in energy efficiency and eco-friendly technology.

The delegation then visited TSC (Technischer Sportclub Dortmund), the largest comprehensive sports club in NRW, to discuss cooperation measures for youth sports exchange.

Mayor Joo stated, "Germany has many youth sports clubs that are systematically managed. Jinju also has the Jinju Citizens Football Club, and many young people are interested in football. I hope that Jinju's youth can participate in youth camps operated by TSC to benchmark Germany's advanced sports system," he requested.

Alexander Kiel, President of TSC, responded, "We will prepare programs that allow youth from Jinju to participate in youth camps operated by TSC. The specific details can be discussed among working-level staff," expressing his willingness to cooperate positively.

TSC has about 9,500 members and is one of Germany's leading regional sports clubs, actively engaged in various sports such as football, athletics, and gymnastics. The club is particularly known for its systematic programs for youth and for nurturing athletes.

Meanwhile, the Jinju City global delegation plans to visit 'BayArena,' the home stadium of the prestigious Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen, on June 27 to discuss measures for youth sports exchange and cooperation with club officials.