Gyeonggi Province Governor Dong Yeon Kim met with Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and National Research Foundation Chairman Heng Swee Keat at Dodamso (Gyeonggi gubernatorial residence) on the evening of November 18 and pledged to strengthen cooperation and innovation between Gyeonggi and Singapore.

This was the first meeting between the two leaders in six years. During his year and a half as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, Governor Kim met with then Singapore Finance Minister Heng on several occasions at finance ministers’ meetings of various economic cooperation organizations, such as the G20 and ASEAN+3, and at the annual meetings of international financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The two became friends, attending meetings together or having separate bilateral meetings to discuss strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries, and even having personal conversations.

Governor Kim expressed his happiness, saying, “I have seen the Deputy Prime Minister many times in Singapore, Argentina, the Philippines, the United States and many other places, and even though his position has changed, I am so happy to see him here in Korea.

Deputy Prime Minister Heng responded, “We have been friends since I was Finance Minister. I have met finance ministers from many countries, but the Governor has a deep knowledge of economics and finance, so I have always gained a lot from our conversations. I am very happy that you invited me to meet you in Gyeonggi Province.

On this day, six years after these two first met as ministers of South Korea and Singapore, respectively, the Governor of Gyeonggi Province (the largest local government in Korea) and the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Research Foundation (which oversees Singapore’s R&D policy) exchanged views on cooperation in new areas such as R&D, personnel and youth exchanges for future industrial innovation.

“I look forward to greater cooperation between Gyeonggi Province and Singapore,” Governor Kim said. “I hope that there will be even better results in cooperation across all industries, including AI, big data, mobility, and semiconductors, as well as in people-to-people exchanges.”

“The similarities between Gyeonggi Province and Singapore can be summed up in two words: ‘innovation’ and ‘courage.’ Innovation for opportunity and courage for the future. On this basis, both countries have enjoyed rapid economic development,” Governor Kim continued. “We are both doing our best to lead innovation and create a better future for our people. That is why I am so excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. I believe we are partners who have a lot to offer each other.”

Deputy Prime Minister Heng said, “The Gyeonggi Province I am seeing today is a cradle of vibrant innovation and talent cultivation. As the largest province in the Republic of Korea, I believe there will be many opportunities for cooperation between Gyeonggi and Singapore in the future.”

“At a time when we are seeing leadership changes in the U.S., the U.K. and many other countries, and uncertainty is on the rise, we need to do a lot of work to deal with change,” Deputy Prime Minister Heng continued. “In this sense, I think the various programs in Gyeonggi Province that encourage young people to take on new challenges send a very good message.

After the official meeting, Governor Kim proposed the formation of a high-level working group to strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation, as well as to expand youth exchanges and research exchanges, to which Deputy Prime Minister Heng responded positively, saying, “It’s a good idea.”

Before meeting with Governor Kim that day, Deputy Prime Minister Heng visited the Pangyo Techno Valley Startup Campus and the Gwanggyo Techno Valley Gyeonggi Bio Hub, both established by Gyeonggi Province, and learned about Gyeonggi Province’s policies for promoting startups and supporting research and development in advanced industries.

Since the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this year, Gyeonggi Province and Singapore have maintained steady exchanges in innovation, including a meeting between Governor Kim and Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, a meeting between a delegation led by Singapore Smart Nation Authority Group Second Permanent Secretary Augustine Lee and Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor for Economic Affairs Kim Hyun-gon, and a visit to the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Complex by Singapore’s Ambassador to Korea Eric Teo. In July, 30 young people from Gyeonggi Province participated in language classes and various experiential activities at the National University of Singapore, Singapore’s most prestigious university, as part of Gyeonggi’s Youth Ladder Project. In October, Singapore Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Dr. He Ruimin attended the Gyeonggi Global Transformation Forum hosted by Gyeonggi Province to discuss AI and Humanomics. In addition, the Singaporean government officially invited Governor Kim through the S R Nathan Fellowship, a program that invites high-level foreign officials to share their insights.

Gyeonggi Province plans to continue its efforts to expand exchanges with Singapore in various fields.