Uiwang mayor vows to expand sister-city ties citizens can feel

Uiwang is broadening its domestic sister-city exchanges beyond ceremonial administrative visits, pushing for partnerships that deliver tangible benefits to residents.

According to the city Wednesday, delegations have consistently attended the signature festivals of its sister cities. This year, from Sept. 4 to 5, a delegation led by Deputy Mayor An Chi-kwon visited the Goesan Red Pepper Festival and the Muju Firefly Festival to strengthen ties and expand cooperation.

The partnership with Muju-gun stands out as one of the city's most enduring exchange relationships. Since the two cities formalized their sister-city agreement in May 2012, they have maintained ongoing youth exchange programs and send delegations to each other's major festivals every year.

This year's Baegwun Lake Festival offered a vivid illustration of that exchange. At the 22nd Uiwang Baegwun Lake Festival, held Sept. 19 to 20, Muju-gun in North Jeolla Province operated a promotional booth and a direct-sales market for local agricultural products. Residents were able to explore Muju-gun's tourism offerings and sample its specialty goods firsthand, bringing the sister-city relationship closer to everyday life.

In addition, the city's ties with Goesan-gun have taken on a lifestyle-oriented character. Since the two cities signed their sister-city agreement in December 2008, they have maintained a steady cooperative relationship, recently expanding their mutual exchange through sales of Goesan-gun's agricultural and specialty products.

Six neighborhoods across Uiwang regularly host sales of Goesan-gun produce, giving residents easy access to quality agricultural goods while helping Goesan-gun expand its market reach. Sister-city exchange has now grown beyond official visits to touch residents' daily consumption habits.

Uiwang's approach to sister-city relations goes well beyond goodwill visits. The city deepens the substance of its exchanges by connecting through festivals, broadening ties through reciprocal invitations, and generating mutual economic gains through agricultural product sales. The significance lies in turning a sister-city designation from a name on paper into practical cooperation that residents can see, buy and experience directly.

"Exchange with our domestic sister cities is a foundation for mutual growth — a way to share each other's strengths and thrive together, not just maintain friendly relations between cities," Mayor Kim Sung-je said. "We will continue to expand exchanges that citizens can feel across a wide range of areas, including festivals, culture, youth programs and the local economy."