The Gangnam-gu Council, led by Speaker Lee Jae-jin, visited the Slovak Embassy in Korea on Tuesday morning and held talks with Ambassador Marek Repovský on ways to expand exchanges and cooperation between Gangnam-gu and Slovak local governments.
The Slovak side was represented by Ambassador Repovský and Consul Veronika Adamova, while Speaker Lee and council members Lee Jong-won (constituency Na) and Kim Ji-ung attended on behalf of the Gangnam-gu Council.
Before the meeting, Ambassador Repovský congratulated Speaker Lee and the council members on their election and asked the speaker about his impressions of taking office and his plans for future council activities.
Speaker Lee said he intended to "build a council that warmly embraces Gangnam-gu residents," expressing his commitment to engaging with constituents through his legislative work.
Both sides agreed on the need to establish a practical foundation for local-level exchanges in line with the strategic partnership South Korea and Slovakia elevated their bilateral relationship to in 2024.
Speaker Lee asked the embassy to actively support efforts to pursue a sister-city or friendship-city relationship between Gangnam-gu and a Slovak local government. Ambassador Repovský said he would propose candidate cities in Slovakia — including those near the capital, Bratislava — suited for exchanges with Gangnam-gu.
The two sides also exchanged views on cultural and arts cooperation. Ambassador Repovský said Slovakia has numerous art museums and galleries and expressed hope that opportunities could be created for Korean artists to exhibit their work there.
Council member Lee Jong-won proposed linking such exchanges with Gangnam-gu's existing programs to discover and support emerging artists, as a way to expand opportunities for artists from both countries to connect. The participants also discussed ways to strengthen cultural exchange, including having Slovakia take part in cultural events and festivals held in Gangnam-gu.
On the economic front, the activities of Korean companies operating in Slovakia were a key topic. Council member Kim Ji-ung asked about the local operations of Korean firms such as Samsung and Kia and the current state of cooperation with Slovakia.
Ambassador Repovský said Slovakia maintains a good relationship with Korean companies and expressed his desire to invite Gangnam-gu council members to Slovakia so they could see firsthand the operations of Korean firms and the country's industrial and economic landscape.
Tourism cooperation was also on the agenda. Ambassador Repovský noted that Slovakia possesses strong tourism resources — including pristine natural scenery and a rich cultural heritage — and said he hoped more Korean tourists would visit, adding that he would actively seek ways to cooperate with Gangnam-gu.
"Now that South Korea and Slovakia have developed a strategic partnership, I hope more concrete and sustained exchanges will follow at the local government level as well," Speaker Lee said. "I will work to ensure that Gangnam-gu and Slovak cities can build substantive cooperative ties across a range of areas, including culture, tourism and the economy."
After the meeting, Ambassador Repovský and Speaker Lee exchanged commemorative gifts on behalf of their respective institutions and agreed to maintain ongoing communication and cooperation.
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