Busan is good

Mayor Park Heong-joon Meets with Governor Adiz Boboev of Samarkand Region, Uzbekistan

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that on the morning of July 21 at 10:00 AM, Mayor Park met with Adiz Boboev, Governor of Samarkand Region, in the International Protocol Room at City Hall to discuss ways to strengthen friendly cooperation between Busan and the Samarkand region.

Mayor Park expressed his gratitude and welcome, saying, “I sincerely thank you for choosing Busan as your first stop during your busy visit to Korea. Since establishing diplomatic ties in 1992, Uzbekistan has become a key partner for Korea in various fields including economy, culture, and tourism. In 2019, our countries upgraded to a ‘Special Strategic Partnership,’ and historically, we have long maintained strong relations.”

In response, Governor Boboev stated, “Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for taking the time to warmly welcome us despite your busy schedule. On the solid foundation of the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Korea and Uzbekistan, I find it deeply meaningful that Samarkand and Busan are building closer ties today.”

Mayor Park continued, “Aligned with the development of bilateral relations, Busan has been actively establishing strategic cooperative relations with Central Asia, including Uzbekistan. Since 2016, we have been dispatching the 'Eurasia Urban Diplomacy Delegation' composed of citizens and public institutions each year to promote Busan and conduct civilian diplomatic activities throughout the Eurasian region.”

Busan signed a friendship and cooperation agreement with Samarkand, Uzbekistan in 2023 and has since engaged in active collaboration. To commemorate the first anniversary of the agreement and promote mutual cultural exchange, a music concert was held in September last year, and the cities are currently working on a follow-up project to establish symbolic friendship gardens named after each city.

Building on this, Busan plans to expand its urban diplomacy network as a “Global Hub City” throughout the Silk Road and greater Eurasia region, and develop customized cooperation strategies tailored to each city’s characteristics—such as in the economy, logistics, culture, and tourism—to enhance regional exchange capacity.

Governor Boboev remarked, “I believe there are many opportunities for cooperation between Busan and Samarkand in areas such as economy, culture, tourism, trade, and investment. We are fully prepared to collaborate with Busan and propose active cooperation.”

Mayor Park referenced Busan’s hosting of a student recruitment seminar in Tashkent, Uzbekistan last year as one of the key activities of the “Eurasia Urban Diplomacy Delegation,” stating, “In partnership with universities, Busan supports international students with both academic and daily life assistance, and offers a support system that connects them to job opportunities after graduation. I ask for your interest and support in our initiative to position Busan as a ‘City Favorable for International Students.’”

Busan is home to 24 universities and, as of last year, approximately 15,000 international students. Among them, about 1,200 are from Uzbekistan, making them the third largest group after students from China and Vietnam.

In conclusion, Mayor Park said, “It brings me great joy that Samarkand, a city rich in history and culture and a central hub of the Silk Road, and Busan, Korea’s leading maritime, economic, and cultural city, are joining hands to build a shared future. I hope today’s meeting marks a new leap forward in the relationship between Busan and the Samarkand region, and I sincerely ask for your special interest and cooperation in strengthening the bridge between our two countries.”