Mayor Lee Hyunjae: "Collaboration with DreamWorks in Glendale, USA... Leading the K-Content Era"

Hanam City and Glendale Delegation Begin Exchange
Paving the Way for Global Cooperation in Culture and Economy
Proposal for K-Culture Hub Receives Positive Response

Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Hyunjae) announced on the 14th that a delegation from Glendale, California, USA, visited Hanam on the 13th to discuss ways to promote economic and cultural exchange and cooperation between the two cities.

Lee Hyunjae, Mayor of Hanam (fourth from left), is taking a commemorative photo with a delegation from Glendale, California, USA, on the 13th. Provided by Hanam City

This visit marked the first exchange aimed at establishing a foundation for ongoing cooperation between the two cities, with the delegation led by Ara James Najarian, Mayor of Glendale, along with Vice Mayor Ardy Kassakhian and Lee Changyeop, Chairperson of the Glendale Sister City Committee.

Glendale is a major economic city in Los Angeles County, home to global content companies such as DreamWorks Animation and Marvel Animation, as well as large-scale multi-purpose shopping malls like Americana at Brand. The city boasts strong cultural and industrial competitiveness.

During the meeting, both sides discussed a wide range of cooperation measures, including: ▲ investment and participation opportunities in large-scale development projects such as K-Star World, ▲ the implementation of educational and partnership programs utilizing Glendale's animation industry infrastructure, and ▲ the joint hosting of cultural events by the two cities.

Mayor Lee Hyunjae emphasized, "Hanam City has been selected as the top institution in the comprehensive evaluation of civil service for four consecutive years through administrative innovation, and it is the first city in the country to receive the Presidential Award for two consecutive years. Based on our proven administrative capabilities in various fields such as transportation, culture, and education, we are expanding global exchanges."

He also directly introduced Hanam's key project, K-Star World, stating, "We will foster it as a central hub for composite culture leading the era of the 300 trillion won K-content market." He further proposed, "Let us create opportunities for Hanam's young talents, who attend Korea's only animation high school, to experience production companies such as DreamWorks and Marvel Animation in Glendale through collaborative projects. This will serve as a catalyst for Hanam and Glendale to advance together as centers of the cultural industry." This suggestion received a positive response from the Glendale delegation.

After the meeting, the delegation toured the K-Star World project site from the Union Tower observatory, and visited Misa Hangang Sand Trail and Starfield Hanam to experience Hanam's natural environment and economic landscape.

Lee Hyunjae, Mayor of Hanam (second from right), is taking a commemorative photo with the delegation from Glendale, California, USA on the 13th. Courtesy of Hanam City

Ara James Najarian, Mayor of Glendale, said, "First of all, I am pleased to learn that Mayor Lee and I share an alumni connection with USC. Through the video briefing, I was very impressed by the growth potential of Hanam's K-culture industry and the combination with the global content production ecosystem."

He continued, "We will positively review the proposals from Hanam City, and I expect that Glendale, home to world-class companies and training facilities such as DreamWorks Animation and Walt Disney School, and Hanam City will create great synergy through cultural and economic cooperation."

Mayor Lee Hyunjae stated, "I hope this meeting will serve as a starting point for both cities to combine their strengths and grow together as global cultural cities. Hanam City will continue to actively expand international cooperation and cultural industry exchanges to become a K-culture hub city."