Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin said Thursday he was departing for Poland and Italy to strengthen the city's global competitiveness and secure new economic opportunities.
"We will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Polish Defense Industry Association and hold export consultations in Wroclaw for 10 local defense companies, opening a path to European markets and translating that into tangible economic results," Shin said.
He said he would visit urban regeneration sites in Milan and inspect the advanced supercomputer infrastructure and urban regeneration landmarks in Bologna to explore ways to apply those models to Seongnam. Shin added that the city would establish a sister-city relationship with Wroclaw, Poland's second-largest city, and participate alongside the Seongnam City Traditional Music Orchestra in the inaugural "Poland Korea Day" event, which Polish ministers, governors and other senior officials will attend.
"At the opening ceremony of Bologna's Technopolis festival, we will have the honor of introducing 'Seongnam, the standard of the Republic of Korea' to the world," he said. "We will also elevate our friendly cooperation relationship with Bologna to a full sister-city agreement."
"Ultimately, the final destination of this entire journey is a better life for the people of Seongnam and our nation," Shin added. "I will come back with my backpack full of future opportunities for our citizens."
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