Mayor Lee Gangdeok of Pohang and Italian Ambassador to Korea Discuss Ways to Expand City Exchanges

Pohang City and Embassy Begin In-Depth Discussions on Practical City Diplomacy Exchange
Continuous Engagement During the Pohang International Fireworks Festival... Expanding Cooperation

On July 4, Lee Gangdeok, Mayor of Pohang, met with Emilia Gatto, Ambassador of Italy to Korea, to discuss ways to expand exchanges between the two cities.

On the 4th, Lee Gangdeok, Mayor of Pohang, met with Emilia Gatto, Ambassador of Italy to Korea, at the Italian Embassy Residence in Korea to discuss ways to expand exchanges between the two cities. Provided by Pohang City

This meeting took place at the Italian Embassy Residence in Korea, following an official invitation from the Embassy.

Ambassador Emilia Gatto personally attended the 2025 Pohang International Fireworks Festival, which was held from June 20 to 22.

During the meeting, she expressed her gratitude for the enthusiastic participation and warm hospitality of Pohang citizens. She also introduced major Italian cities and specifically proposed the possibility of exchanges between sister and friendship cities.

Ambassador Emilia Gatto stated, "The future vision of Pohang and the direction of city diplomacy pursued by the Embassy share many similarities," adding, "I believe mutually complementary cooperation is possible in various fields, including culture and the arts, environment, education, and advanced technology."

She further emphasized her philosophy on city diplomacy, stating that "for sustainable and substantive city diplomacy, it is important to build steady and sincere exchanges based on trust rather than rushing the process."

In response, Mayor Lee Gangdeok said, "This meeting is a valuable opportunity to further expand Pohang's foundation for international cooperation," and introduced Pohang as a city that is pursuing not only the steel industry but also future new industries and green growth, such as secondary batteries, hydrogen energy, biohealth, and marine tourism.

He also stated, "We expect that practical cooperation will be possible with Italian cities in various fields, including culture and the arts, sustainable industries, and citizen exchanges."

Previously, during the Fireworks Festival, Ambassador Emilia Gatto drew attention by attending various official events in person. Notably, she participated in the entire parade alongside citizens despite the rain, enhancing diplomatic rapport, and contributed to strengthening diplomatic relations by delivering a fluent greeting in Korean at the welcome dinner, which was met with enthusiastic applause.

A Pohang City official stated, "The consecutive meetings with the Italian Ambassador have demonstrated the potential for developing long-term and strategic city-to-city diplomacy," and added, "We plan to begin concrete discussions to achieve tangible cooperation results in various areas, including culture and the arts, industry, and citizen exchanges."