-Heightening Economic and Cultural Exchange with Shandong (China) and Kanagawa (Japan) – 

Gyeonggi Friendship Delegates headed by Vice Governor Kim Seong-Sik for Administrative Affairs visited Shandong of China and Kanagawa of Japan, which are sister provinces of Gyeonggi-do, between July 17 and 23. The visit was designed to draw out negotiation about cooperative businesses and exchange opinions on development measures of international exchange for local governing entities. 

The delegates held a meeting with Vice Governor of Shandong to come to agreements regarding corporate training, export convention, and exhibition and trade show participation. For one thing, the two provinces decided that they would support each other to facilitate businesses from Shandong to take part in KES 2005 at KINTEX from October 11 through 15. 

Gyeonggi-do will dispatch its representatives to the Youth International Exchange Forum in Shandong in the second half of 2005. Varying thoughts were shared about Gyeonggi-do’s scholarship and grant and civic officer exchange programs. 

The delegates also held meetings with governors and assembly chairman of Kanagawa. It was decided that the 15th Anniversary of the Sisterhood will be celebrated in grandeur alongside the “October Fun” event hosted by the “Korean Community in Japan” of Kanagawa in October 2005. 

Working-level collaboration will be made on a regular basis, and exchange businesses among unit local governing entities will be provided with appropriate support for the end of mutual development. 

Gyeonggi-do assessed that this visit laid the groundwork for taking the inter-provincial relationship to another level. It will not only better the economic exchange works through corporate training programs and exhibition and trade show collaboration but also push forward with college scholarship program for students of Korean language in the sister regions. 

Shandong covers the area of 156,700km², and it has a population of 90.79 million; it formed a sisterhood with Gyeonggi-do in April 2000. Kanagawa spreads over the area of 2,413km² with a population of 8.2 million, and it formed a sisterhood with Gyeonggi-do in April 1990. Gyeonggi-do has been promoting exchange businesses in a wide range of industries and sectors such as economy, sports, and culture.