WEB DESK: Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon met with Beijing Mayor Yin Yong and discussed restoring cooperative relations between the capitals of Korea, China and Japan, during his visit to Beijing, Tuesday.
The two mayors also explored ways to expand exchanges in areas closely related to the daily lives of citizens, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Wednesday.
This meeting marks the first high-level engagement between the capitals of Korea and China since 2018.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Oh highlighted the significance of his visit to Beijing, emphasizing that strengthening the cooperative relationship between the cities could contribute to enhancing the quality of life of citizens.
He underscored the value of local government exchanges, noting that while it may take time to rebuild these ties after the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, such efforts are crucial.
Since the 1990s, “BeSeTo” — a syllabic abbreviation derived from the initial parts of each city’s English name: Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo — have actively engaged in exchanges as major centers of Northeast Asia.
Although the solidarity continued into the 2010s, such as signing agreements to bolster cooperation for shared prosperity, recent years have seen a slowdown due to rapidly changing geopolitical circumstances and the impact of the pandemic.
“We hope the three capitals can once again foster mutual development through restored cooperation, much like the strong relationship Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo had in the past,” Oh said.
In addition, he proposed that Seoul and Beijing, which have been actively collaborating in various sectors such as the economy, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, should maintain and strengthen their future-oriented partnership.
The two cities established a formal friendly relationship in 1992, a year after the establishment of diplomatic ties between Korea and China. In 2013, the Seoul-Beijing Integration Council, a permanent body aimed at fostering sustainable cooperation between the two cities, was launched to further solidify the partnership.
In this year’s meeting, the two mayors agreed to expand exchange opportunities to address common challenges faced by metropolitan cities. They committed to fostering more active exchanges among public officials, as well as ones in culture and people, the city government said.
Furthermore, Oh suggested increasing exchanges between the young generation, aiming to foster a deeper understanding of each other’s cultures and social environments. He emphasized that such initiatives could significantly contribute to the development and prosperity of both cities.
Yin noted that Oh’s visit could help to enhance the relationship between Korea and China.
“Beijing and Seoul have played leading, exemplary and important roles in regional exchanges between the two countries,” he said.
Yin also expressed that Oh’s visit would not only strengthen ties between the two cities but also bolster business activities and civic exchanges, ultimately benefiting relations between Korea and China. He mentioned that he would consider visiting Seoul at an appropriate time.
Yin, who has been in office since January last year, is a former deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China. A financial expert, he has been a key policy implementer of the Chinese Communist Party.
Meanwhile, Oh invited China’s leading companies and startups who plan to attend Seoul Smart Life Week. The event, scheduled for October, will showcase advanced science and technologies integrated into everyday life.
