By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

Busan City Mayor Park Hyung-joon and Diego Manuel Villanueva Martinelli, Panamanian Ambassador to South Korea, met at the Busan City Hall to discuss ways to develop cooperative relations between Busan and Panama on June 8, 2025.

On that day, Mayor Park emphasized his expectations for human exchange and cooperation in the marine and fisheries sectors between Busan and Panama City, which have established a friendship and cooperation agreement.

He also introduced the “1st Global City Tourism Summit” and “Busan Global City Week” to be held in October and requested cooperation to attend the events.

In response, Ambassador Diego Villanueva expressed agreement with the similarities between Busan and Panama and expressed optimism about the potential for cooperation in various fields such as marine, port, and logistics.

He also showed great interest in the five areas of Busan's global hub city initiative: logistics, finance, new industries, cultural content, and international tourism.

Mayor Park Hyung-joon said, “This year marks the ninth anniversary of the friendship and cooperation agreement between Busan and Panama City, and I hope that exchanges and cooperation between the two cities will become even more active. Busan has various institutions in the marine and fisheries sector, so I believe that cooperation in areas such as aquaculture, fisheries, marine, and hydrogen economy will be actively carried out through human exchanges.”