The 2026 Eurasian Urban Diplomacy Delegation holds a send-off ceremony at Busan City Hall on Monday before embarking on a 10-night, 12-day journey. [Busan city government]
The 2026 Eurasian Urban Diplomacy Delegation holds a send-off ceremony at Busan City Hall on Monday before embarking on a 10-night, 12-day journey. [Busan city government]

Busan city government and the Busan Global City Foundation announced Tuesday that the 2026 Eurasian Urban Diplomacy Delegation has set off on a 10-night, 12-day journey from Monday through Sept. 4 to promote Busan as a global maritime capital and expand the city's cooperative ties with major Eurasian cities.

Launched in 2016, the Eurasian Urban Diplomacy Delegation is Busan's flagship citizen-led urban diplomacy project, linking multi-sector cooperation spanning economics, culture, tourism, youth and university exchanges as well as study-abroad and employment programs to produce tangible results.

A send-off ceremony held Monday morning drew about 100 attendees, including Deputy Mayor for Future Innovation Oh Seok-geun, Busan City Council Speaker Kang Mu-gil, delegation head Song Woo-hyeon, deputy head Jeong Yeong-su, 22 youth members, and representatives from universities, businesses and related organizations.

Song, who chairs the Busan City Council's Administrative and Cultural Affairs Committee, leads the delegation, with Jeong, the committee's second vice chair, serving as deputy head. The 22 youth members will act as citizen diplomats promoting Busan abroad, while 19 business delegates will hold one-on-one consultations and exchange sessions with local companies to help Busan firms expand their overseas presence.

The delegation will visit Shanghai in China, Almaty in Kazakhstan, Tashkent in Uzbekistan, and Liverpool and London in the United Kingdom, with youth members, business representatives, university officials and related organizations taking part in city-specific schedules.

This year's program centers on two pillars — practical urban diplomacy and city brand enhancement — pursuing tailored programs in four cities across four countries that combine economic, cultural, education and youth exchanges.

In Shanghai, 10 Busan companies in medical tourism, K-beauty, healthcare and food manufacturing will hold one-on-one business consultations with local firms. In Almaty, building on the launch of a direct Busan-Almaty air route in May, the delegation will hold high-level talks and business consultations aimed at boosting economic and tourism ties between the two cities.

In Tashkent, the delegation will donate more than 500 hangul and Busan-themed books to four institutions, including the National Children's Library, and sign a regular book-exchange agreement. In Liverpool — marking the delegation's first-ever visit to the city — 22 Busan youth members and 33 local university students will carry out a joint mission exploring the city around the theme of port culture and media.

"Every member's activity is a precious seed in building Busan as a global maritime capital," Deputy Mayor Oh said. "I hope you carry Busan's charm, capabilities and warm spirit far and wide, with pride as diplomats representing our city."


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com