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Mayor Park Heong-joon Meets with Panamanian Ambassador to Korea… Discusses Strengthening Ongoing Cooperation

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The Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that Mayor Park met with Diego Villanueva, Ambassador of Panama to Korea, on June 5 at 4:40 p.m. in the International Reception Room of Busan City Hall to discuss ways to strengthen the cooperative relationship between Busan and Panama.

Mayor Park began by congratulating Ambassador Villanueva on his new post and expressed hope that the ambassador would play an active role in deepening not only bilateral cooperation between Korea and Panama, but also exchanges between the two cities.

He continued, “This year marks the 9th anniversary of the sister-city partnership between Busan and Panama City, and I hope this occasion will lead to more active exchanges between the two cities.” He added, “Korea ranks fourth in terms of cargo volume through the Panama Canal, making Panama a very important partner. As the host country of the 8th Our Ocean Conference (OOC), Panama has been leading global efforts to address ocean-related issues, while Busan, as the host of the 10th OOC this year, is also actively contributing to the goal of a sustainable ocean.”

He further stated, “Busan is home to numerous policy research and educational institutions in the maritime and fisheries fields, and I look forward to active exchanges and cooperation in areas such as aquaculture, the fisheries industry, marine affairs, and the hydrogen economy.”

Mayor Park also introduced two upcoming major events to be held in Busan this October—the 1st Global City Tourism Summit and Busan Global City Week—and requested the participation of sister city Panama City.

• ●The 1st Global City Tourism Summit will bring together high-level officials from national and local governments and related institutions to develop and implement global cultural tourism content based on local identity and to propose actionable policy agendas.

• ●Now in its second year, the 2025 Busan Global City Week will provide a platform for Busan and its sister cities to share best practices and foster practical cooperation in fields such as digital AI, international exchange, development cooperation, and youth culture.

In response, Ambassador Diego Villanueva remarked,
“Although Panama and Busan are geographically distant, the two have many similarities, and there is great potential for cooperation in fields such as maritime affairs, ports, and logistics.”

He also noted that Panama City, as a sister city, has much to learn from Busan’s smart city development, digital public-private governance, and tourism enhancement initiatives. He expressed strong interest in Busan’s vision to become a global hub city across five sectors:
▲ logistics ▲ finance ▲ emerging industries (AI, quantum computing, hydrogen) ▲ cultural content ▲ international tourism

Mayor Park concluded the meeting by saying,
“I hope the friendly cooperation between Panama and Busan continues to grow stronger, and I kindly ask for your interest and support in this endeavor.”