Busan is good

The Journey of Connecting Cities through Exchanges: Launch of the 2025 Eurasia Citizen Diplomats!

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) and the Busan Global City Foundation (CEO Jeon Yong-woo) announced that the 2025 Eurasia Citizen Diplomats will embark today (September 10) on a 16-day journey until September 25. The delegation aims to promote the global hub city brand of Busan and foster exchange and cooperation with sister and friendship cities.

The Citizen Diplomats initiative is a citizen-participatory city diplomacy project led by citizens, including youth, and professional institutions. This year, activities will span across four sister and friendship cities and one key exchange hub city, for a total of five cities. Through 35 events, the delegation will promote the Busan brand in various fields and work to revitalize inter-city exchanges.

This year’s delegation is headed by Hwang Seok-chil, a member of the Busan Metropolitan Council’s Administrative and Cultural Committee. The delegation also includes 15 youth representatives, 26 business leaders, 5 cultural and artistic figures, and 40 individuals from the academic and educational sectors, along with other key figures and stakeholders. In total, about 100 participants from 21 organizations will join. Through citizen- and institution-led activities, the delegation seeks to expand the horizons of Busan as a global hub city.

The youth participants will take the lead in promoting Busan and engaging in cultural exchange activities, presenting cultural performances at key destinations. These efforts are expected not only to contribute to the growth of youth as global talent but also to play an important role in attracting international talent.

This year’s Citizen Diplomats project will focus on promoting the overseas expansion of local companies and attracting global talent, while strengthening partnerships with fellow cities and enhancing Busan’s appeal through continuous city diplomacy activities in Beijing, Ulaanbaatar, Almaty, Istanbul, and Berlin.

In the first destination, Beijing, the Busan–Beijing Business Consultation and Exchange Meeting will be held to support the overseas expansion of local companies. In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, a Busan Study Abroad Fair will be held along with a kindergarten environment improvement project, expanding cooperation in the field of education.

In Almaty, Kazakhstan, the Busan–Almaty Future Strategy Seminar and the Busan–Almaty Cultural Exchange Night will take place, in connection with the economic mission program organized by the Busan Economic Promotion Agency, to strengthen cooperation in Central Asia. In Istanbul, Türkiye, a ceremony will be held to honor Korean War veterans on the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN), sharing messages of peace and reconciliation and deepening friendship with this brother nation.

In the final destination, Berlin, Germany, “Busan Day in Berlin” will be held to widely promote Busan’s history, culture, and city brand. The delegation will conclude its journey with a performance by the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra, which has been invited to the closing performance of the world-renowned Musikfest Berlin.

The journey began this morning (September 10) at 8:20 a.m. with a departure ceremony in the Small Conference Room of Busan City Hall. The ceremony included congratulatory performances, an oath-taking ceremony, and the handover of the delegation’s flag.

Youth participants, university representatives, business leaders, council members, and heads of relevant organizations—around 100 people in total—attended the departure ceremony, officially marking the delegation’s start.

Since 2016, the Eurasia Citizen Diplomats initiative has embarked on journeys starting from Busan, the gateway to Eurasia, traveling across Asia and Europe. From 2016 to 2024, the program has visited 11 countries and 28 cities, with a cumulative participation of about 6,780 people, strengthening global solidarity.

Lee Jun-seung, Vice Mayor for Administrative Affairs, stated, “This journey will further expand Busan’s global network, from practical economic cooperation to exchanges in education, culture, and tourism. By including new exchange hubs such as Berlin and Istanbul, this visit will serve as an important milestone in establishing sustainable cooperative networks with global partner cities and elevating Busan as a global hub city on the world stage.”