Busan, Shimonoseki mark 50 years as sister cities with fireworks festival

A delegation from Shimonoseki, Japan — Busan's sister city — visited Busan on Saturday and Sunday as part of mutual exchange events marking the 50th anniversary of the two cities' sisterhood, Busan city officials announced Tuesday. The 11-member delegation was led by Shimonoseki Mayor Maeda Shintaro and City Assembly Speaker Hayashi Shinichiro.

The visit came after a Busan delegation traveled to Shimonoseki in August to mark the anniversary and attend the Kanmon Strait fireworks festival. This time, the Shimonoseki delegation joined Busan's own fireworks festival. Shimonoseki also offered subsidies for travel products covering the Busan visit, including tickets to the fireworks festival, to encourage citizen-level exchanges.

On the first day, Saturday, the delegation visited the North Port redevelopment promotional center, where officials briefed them on the project's progress and offered a view of the area's ongoing transformation. The group also toured major cultural facilities in Busan, examining cases of urban regeneration and the use of cultural spaces. That evening, a special message celebrating the 50th anniversary of the sister-city relationship was displayed during the Gwangandaegyo fireworks festival, adding to the occasion's significance.

On Sunday, the second day of the visit, the delegation toured the Busan Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, which reopened after renovations in September, and viewed works by internationally acclaimed artist Lee Ufan.

Busan and Shimonoseki share historical ties dating back to the era of the Joseon Tongsinsa diplomatic missions. The two cities have maintained friendly exchanges since formalizing their sister-city relationship on Oct. 11, 1976.

"Although Busan and Shimonoseki are separated by the sea, we have been close neighbors and steadfast partners for the past 50 years, bound by a long shared history," Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said. "I hope we will continue to build exchanges across maritime affairs, tourism, culture and other fields, and forge a new 50 years of friendship together."