Yeongdeungpo-gu held a welcome ceremony Wednesday for a youth cultural exchange delegation from its friendship city of Kishiwada, Japan, marking the latest chapter in a partnership stretching back nearly a quarter century.
The visit is part of the two cities' ongoing international exchange program. Since establishing their friendship-city relationship in 2002, Yeongdeungpo-gu and Kishiwada have built ties through joint participation in the Kishiwada Marathon and reciprocal submissions to each other's autumn arts and culture exhibitions.
This year's exchange centers on Kishiwada Municipal Industrial High School and Hangang Media High School, which became sister schools in 2009. A 10-member delegation from Kishiwada Municipal Industrial High School arrived Wednesday for a three-night, four-day stay in Yeongdeungpo-gu, running through Saturday.
A highlight of the program is a homestay with families of Hangang Media High School students, giving the Japanese visitors a firsthand look at everyday Korean home life.
The delegation will also sit in on classes and take a campus tour at Hangang Media High School to experience student life alongside their Korean peers. They will then visit the National Museum of Korea and Gyeongbokgung to explore Korea's traditional culture, before taking in the 63 Building and a Han River cruise to discover the broader charms of Seoul.
The welcome ceremony Wednesday drew Yeongdeungpo-gu District Mayor Jo Yu-jin, Kishiwada Municipal Industrial High School Principal Yasui Takashi, Hangang Media High School Principal Jeon Byeong-hyeon, and teachers and students from both schools, who reaffirmed the bond between the two cities and reflected on the significance of international exchange.
Including this visit, the two schools have completed eight hosting exchanges and seven reciprocal visits, establishing themselves as a model for international youth exchange. Next year, Hangang Media High School students are scheduled to travel to Kishiwada for a return visit.
The district said it hopes the program will give young people from both countries an opportunity to share diverse perspectives and build their capacity for international communication.
"This exchange is a precious meeting where the future leaders of both cities can understand each other and build lasting friendships," District Mayor Jo said. "I hope every moment spent in Korea becomes both a lesson in understanding each other's cultures and a beautiful memory to carry home."
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