Chungcheongnam-do has expanded exchanges with its sister and friendly cooperative regions in Japan, laying the groundwork for future-oriented cooperation.

A delegation led by Vice Governor Hong Jong-wan visited Tokyo, Nara Prefecture, and Kumamoto Prefecture on a 3-night, 4-day trip from October 12 to 15 to discuss inter-governmental exchange and cooperation measures.

On October 12, the first day of the trip, the delegation visited Chungnam's overseas office in Tokyo to inspect its operational status and held a meeting with the leadership of the General Association of Chungcheong Residents in Japan (Chairman Lee Jeong-wook).

Vice Governor Hong expressed his gratitude to the Chungcheong diaspora in Japan, who contribute to their hometown's development through Chungcheong region scholarship programs and the nurturing of the next generation of compatriots, and requested their continued cooperation to expand exchanges between the province and Japan.

On October 13, the delegation visited Nara Prefecture and met with Governor Yamashita Makoto to discuss ways to expand exchanges based on the historical and cultural ties between the two regions.

Nara Prefecture is a region that has maintained friendly exchanges with Chungnam, participating in the Baekje Cultural Festival to mark the 10th anniversary of friendly exchanges in 2021, and issuing a joint declaration last year to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the signing of the friendly exchange agreement.

Vice Governor Hong emphasized exchange and cooperation between the two regions mediated by world heritage and Baekje history and culture, and expressed his gratitude for Nara Prefecture's participation in the Korea-Japan Culture Seminar held in July and the Youth e-Sports Tournament in August.

They also discussed practical ways to expand exchanges, such as expanding exchanges among future generations including youths, and inviting Nara Prefecture residents to participate in international events hosted within the province next year.

On October 14 and 15, the delegation visited Kumamoto Prefecture, Chungnam's oldest sister-city region.

Chungnam and Kumamoto Prefecture have maintained exchanges and cooperation in various fields for over 40 years since signing a sisterhood agreement in 1983.

Vice Governor Hong visited the Kumamoto Earthquake Museum (KIOKU) to examine the remains of the 2016 major earthquake and the disaster response and education processes.

On October 15, he visited the earthquake-stricken Hikawa town area and the Kumamoto Prefecture Disaster Prevention Center to tour the disaster response and recovery systems.

He also met with Kumamoto Prefecture Governor Kimura Takashi to discuss cooperation measures in the disaster safety field between the two regions, and conveyed wishes for the prompt recovery of the affected areas regarding the relief funds delivered by the province to Kumamoto Prefecture last August.

"Through this visit, we inspected the current status of exchanges with our Japanese sister and friendly cooperative regions and confirmed the potential for cooperation in various fields such as history, culture, youth, and disaster safety," Vice Governor Hong said. "Going forward, we will discover and promote practical and future-oriented exchange projects to broaden the scope of our local diplomacy."

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