Nghe An Province’s working delegation meets with leaders of South Korea’s Gwangju City

The delegation was attended by leaders of the Office of the Provincial Delegation to National Assembly, the Provincial People's Council, leaders of the provincial People's Council’s committees, leaders of the Department of Foreign Affairs and related units.

On the afternoon of May 19, the working delegation had a working session and exchanged greetings with the Mayor of Gwangju City. The delegation was welcomed by Mr. Kang Gijung - the Mayor of Gwangju City and other relevant members.

During the working session, the Mayor of Gwangju City welcomed the delegation from Nghe An province and introduced the potential and advantages of the city.

Gwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea and a central city, with an area of 501 km2 and a population of nearly 1.5 million people. Gwangju has advantages in agriculture and automobile manufacturing industries. In recent years, Gwangju has considered artificial intelligence (AI) as the core of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Notably, the "Gwangju City Project - Center of Artificial Intelligence" has emerged as a leader in generating the "Four Major AI Powers in Korea."

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Nam Dinh affirmed that Vietnam always values and highly regards the comprehensive partnership with South Korea. Over the past 30 years of establishing diplomatic relations, cooperation between the two countries has flourished in various areas including diplomacy, trade, investment, tourism, culture, education, and sports.

Nghe An, the birthplace of the President Ho Chi Minh, is a large province in Vietnam, with the largest area and the fourth largest population. Its economic scale and attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) rank among the top 10 in Vietnam. In 2022, Nghe An province and Gwangju City established and signed a bilateral cooperation agreement, exchanged delegations and organized events to promote investment, trade, tourism, culture, sports, and education.

The Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council of Nghe An emphasized that the presence of the provincial delegation at the "Vietnam Day" program in Gwangju and the "Gwangju Citizen Day" is a vivid testament to the cultural cooperation between the two localities. This event is an opportunity to explore the traditions of South Korea and introduce the unique and distinctive culture of Vietnam, particularly the UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage of Vi, Giam Nghe Tinh (folk singing).

In addition, this is also an opportunity to develop cooperation in economy and trade, high technology, electronics industry, education, vocational training, and labor export, as the delegation from Nghe An includes the university principals, directors of colleges, and business leaders to exhibit and introduce the province's strengths in agriculture, aquaculture, handicrafts, stone carving, construction materials, handicrafts, and woven bamboo products. In 2023, the two localities will also exchange famtrip delegations to explore the potential for tourism, open charter flights, and organize tours from South Korea to Nghe An.

During the meeting, both sides discussed and exchanged views on various issues related to exploring the potential for tourism, economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, and education.