By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee
The signing ceremony was attended by approximately 30 key figures from both cities, including Jinju City Mayor Cho Kyu-il, Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson, Jinju City Council Chairman Baek Seung-heung, and business leaders.
Located in Georgia, Columbus is known as a manufacturing hub in the southeastern United States, where pro-business policies have led to active new corporate investment and a large number of Korean manufacturing plants.
This sister city agreement between Jinju and Columbus stems from a shared understanding of strengthening friendship and expanding exchanges between the two cities, stemming from a business agreement signed during a visit by a delegation from Columbus State University last June.
The agreement's key objectives include: establishing close friendly relations; engaging in exchanges in areas of mutual interest; and fostering a conducive environment for knowledge and information exchange.
With this sister city relationship, the two cities plan to expand exchanges and cooperation in various areas, including economy, culture, arts, sports, and human resources.
Mayor Cho Kyu-il welcomed the visiting delegation from Columbus, stating, "Jinju's Jinju K-Entrepreneurship and Columbus, Georgia, share the commonality of being cities that thrive together, centered on people and community values."
He added, "Today's international friendship agreement will serve as a meaningful starting point for our two cities to move forward as true partners in various fields, including economy, culture, and education."
Mayor Skip Henderson stated, "Like Jinju's Namgang River, Columbus also has the Chattahoochee River at its heart and has developed around it. Jinju's outstanding cultural and artistic resources, along with key infrastructure industries such as aerospace and biotechnology, are very similar to those of Columbus, which drew considerable interest."
He added, "I hope that through future exchanges and cooperation, our two cities can build a productive partnership for sustainable economic growth and future development."
