Delegation attends Gaeseong ginseng festival opening, visits Tongil Village
Paju city announced Monday that a civic friendship delegation from its Japanese sister city of Hadano visited Paju from Saturday to Sunday on a one-night, two-day itinerary, attending the opening ceremony of the Paju Gaeseong Ginseng Festival and completing a schedule of people-to-people exchanges.
The delegation comprised 27 people in total, including members of the Hadano-Paju Friendship Association, general citizens and Hadano city officials. Kazama Masako, head of the Hadano-Paju Friendship Association, led the group.
The visit began with the festival opening ceremony, followed by a welcome dinner with Paju Mayor Son Bae-chan, where both sides exchanged views on expanding inter-city exchanges and deepening civic friendship. The following day, the delegation visited Tongil Village and met with the Paju-Hadano Friendship Association, reaffirming the bond between the two cities.
"Hadano and Paju are irreplaceable friends," Kazama said. "I hope we will continue to cherish this precious relationship long into the future."
Paju Mayor Son Bae-chan said the visit carried special meaning because it coincided with the Gaeseong Ginseng Festival, one of Paju's signature events. "I hope our two cities will continue building on their long friendship through exchanges that connect people with people," he said.
Hadano is an eco-friendly city in the central-western part of Kanagawa Prefecture, about 60 kilometers from Tokyo. Paju and Hadano have maintained active exchanges across a range of fields — including youth programs, culture, sports and public administration — since establishing their sister-city relationship in October 2005.
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