Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly Chairman and Vice Governor Visit Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, Reaffirm Commitment to Cooperation

On July 11, the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council announced that Takashi Nakamoto, chairman of the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly, and Mika Yokota, vice governor of Hiroshima Prefecture, along with their delegation, visited the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council.

This visit was arranged to further deepen friendly exchanges between Gyeongbuk Province and Hiroshima Prefecture and to seek ways to promote mutual cooperation between the two local assemblies.

The chairman and vice governor of Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, along with their delegation, are taking a commemorative photo with members of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council after visiting the council.

Since signing a letter of intent for friendly exchange with Gyeongbuk Province in January 2024, Hiroshima Prefecture has continued active exchanges, including student exchange programs for talent development and operating a Gyeongbuk product promotion booth at a Hiroshima Prefecture festival.

In particular, the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly reaffirmed its commitment to trust and cooperation between the two assemblies by visiting the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council again about a year after 21 members of the Japan-Korea Friendship Parliamentary Federation first visited in May last year.

During the visit, the delegation attended a welcoming ceremony prepared by the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, followed by a welcome meeting and a tour of the main assembly hall. At the welcome meeting, Vice Chairman Choi Byungjun, Kim Heesoo, president of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council International Friendship Parliamentary Federation, Lee Sunhee, chairperson of the Planning and Economy Committee, Kwon Gwangtaek, chairperson of the Administration, Health and Welfare Committee, and council members Do Giuk, Choi Taerim, Park Sunha, and Kim Daejin warmly welcomed the Hiroshima delegation.

Takashi Nakamoto, chairman of the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly, expressed his gratitude for the hospitality of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, stating, "I feel that the friendly relationship between our regions is growing stronger through continued exchanges with the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council. I hope this visit will serve as an opportunity to further expand exchanges between our assemblies."

Vice Chairman Choi Byungjun (acting chairman) expressed his pleasure, saying, "Meeting again after about a year feels like seeing an old friend." He added, "Gyeongbuk Province and Hiroshima Prefecture share a deep history and traditional culture, and both are leading their regional economies by developing advanced industries centered on manufacturing. I hope that expanding exchange and cooperation between our local assemblies will allow us to jointly address the various challenges facing our regions."

Through this visit, the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council and the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly had a meaningful opportunity to explore higher levels of friendly exchange and mutual cooperation. Both assemblies plan to continue expanding practical exchanges in various fields in the future.