As part of his visit to Greece and Italy with a view to establishing a social economic hub and invigorating the marine industry, Governor Nam Kyung-pil met with Governor of Crete Stavros Arnaoutakis in the EN PLO restaurant in Heraklion, Crete at 1:00pm on March 1 and discussed matters of mutual concern such as how to invigorate the tourism industry and overcome the economic crisis.

They were accompanied by Heraklion’s Mayor Vasilis Lambrinou and Vice-Mayor Mrs. Aristea Plevri, in charge of culture and tourism, and Honorary Korean Consul General Miltiadis Karatzis in Crete.

At the meeting, Mr. Stavros Arnaoutakis proposed that the two sides work together more closely, saying, “The two countries have maintained a cooperative relationship in the political, trade, and cultural sectors since the end of the Korean War, but the tourism sector still leaves much to be desired.”

Mr. Nam Kyung-pil agreed with his counterpart’s view, saying, “I am deeply impressed by the history, culture, and natural environment of Crete. Let’s work together to forge closer relations. I will recommend the establishment of a direct flight route between Korea and Greece to airlines in Korea, if only for the summer peak season, in an effort to invigorate tourism.”

In response to Mayor Vasilis Lambrinou’s request for advice on how to attract more Korean tourists, Mr. Nam Kyung-pil suggested that efforts should be made to introduce the cuisine and culture of Crete on Korean TV programs, including dramas, pointing to similar cases with Croatia and Prague, Czech Republic.

Governor Nam Kyung-pil declared that he would name the work for the construction of the new building of the Gyeonggi-Do Office the Knossos Project after the Palace of Knossos in Crete. He said that he was deeply impressed by the explanation that the Palace of Knossos was the first palace in history to have been built for ordinary people rather than for the ruler or nobility, and that he would endeavor to make the new municipal building one for local residents.

Asked to give his opinion on the current debt crisis of Greece, Governor Nam Kyung-pil said that the country should remain in the eurozone. He said, “If Greece leaves the eurozone, the shock will be so enormous that the country will not be able to endure the economic and political consequences in all likelihood.” Those from Crete shared his view.