Gwangju Mayor Kang Ki-jung and a city delegation will visit Harbin, Beijing and Wuhan in China from Sunday through Friday to strengthen historical and cultural exchanges and expand cooperation in AI and future mobility.
The trip aims to broaden cultural ties by following the footsteps of Jeong Yul-seong, a Gwangju-born musician who traveled to China to join the anti-Japanese independence movement, while also building a foundation for collaboration in AI and mobility.
In Harbin, where Jeong's artistic spirit took root, Mayor Kang will meet Harbin Mayor Wang Hesheng to discuss Korea-China cooperation, reexamine the anti-Japanese historical figures of Jeong Yul-seong and An Jung-geun, and explore ways to build mutual cultural trust.
In Beijing, the delegation will meet Jeong So-je, the daughter of Jeong Yul-seong.
The meeting will focus on reflecting on Jeong Yul-seong's life and finding ways to carry forward his artistic legacy as an asset for Gwangju in its role as a hub city of Asian culture.
The delegation also plans to visit the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the country's umbrella body for cultural and arts organizations, to build a network of friendly cooperation.
"We will use this trip as the starting point for multifaceted diplomacy spanning history, ecology and technology — connecting cultural common ground to industrial gains and securing future growth engines for Gwangju," Mayor Kang said. "We will examine China's innovation policies and industry firsthand and build a framework for substantive cooperation."
sij@heraldcorp.com
