[Provided by the North Gyeongsang Provincial Assembly]
[Provided by the North Gyeongsang Provincial Assembly]

The North Gyeongsang Provincial Assembly signed a letter of intent for exchange and cooperation with the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly, stepping up efforts to strengthen inter-regional legislative ties and policy cooperation.

The assembly signed the letter of intent Tuesday, with Assembly Speaker Kim Hee-su — who also serves as president of the International Friendship Lawmakers Federation — and Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly Speaker Nakamoto Takashi in attendance.

North Gyeongsang Province and Hiroshima Prefecture have been expanding their cooperative relationship, signing a friendly exchange agreement in January 2024 and then establishing a sister-region partnership in November last year.

On the first day of the visit, Monday, the delegation toured the Hiroshima Prefecture Disaster Prevention Aviation Center to examine Japan's disaster response systems and its use of aerial resources for search-and-rescue operations and damage mitigation.

The delegation then met with the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hiroshima to discuss ways to strengthen exchanges between Korean and Japanese local governments and assemblies.

On Wednesday, the delegation is scheduled to pay respects at the memorial monument for Korean atomic bomb victims and hold a meeting with the Hiroshima chapter of the Korean Residents Union in Japan.

"I hope this visit will lay the foundation for a sustainable exchange and cooperation relationship with the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly and lead to outcomes that residents of both regions can tangibly feel," Speaker Kim said. "We will continue to expand exchanges with overseas local assemblies and Korean diaspora communities to identify cooperative initiatives that contribute to regional development."


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com