Busan is good

Mayor Park Heong-joon Meets with Governor Oishi Kengo of Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that on the afternoon of October 16, at 5:00 p.m., in the International Protocol Room of City Hall, Mayor Park met with Governor Oishi Kengo (大石 賢吾) and a delegation from Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, to discuss plans for mutual exchange and cooperation between Busan and Nagasaki Prefecture.

This visit by the Nagasaki Prefectural delegation followed previous visits by Vice Governor Baba Yuko (馬場裕子) in April and August. It was arranged to explore various measures to further promote exchange and cooperation between the two regions.

At the beginning of the meeting, Mayor Park stated, “For Busan to strengthen cooperation with Japanese cities, exchanges with coastal cities along the Korea–Japan Strait, such as Nagasaki Prefecture, are especially important.”

In July, Busan and Nagasaki Prefecture signed an agreement on the list of friendship and exchange activities for 2025. The two sides have since shared updates on the status of flight routes, including irregular charter services, and discussed cooperation in the tourism sector.

Last year marked the 10th anniversary of the sister-city partnership between Busan and Nagasaki Prefecture, and this year, the two sides have continued their cooperation through various projects, including the Joseon Tongsinsa cultural exchange program and multilateral exchange activities among Korea, China, and Japan.

Mayor Park also mentioned that “The 106th National Sports Festival opens today (October 17) in Busan. In addition to the festival, many international events will take place in Busan throughout October and November. I hope many tourists from Nagasaki Prefecture will come to enjoy Busan’s beautiful autumn season.”

He further added that “It will greatly benefit both cities to exchange policies and share ideas and information across various fields.” During the meeting, Mayor Park introduced Busan’s new policy initiatives in areas such as healthcare and tourism and listened to Nagasaki Prefecture’s policy ideas. He also highlighted Busan’s achievement in being designated the World Design Capital for 2028.

In response, Governor Oishi Kengo (大石 賢吾) stated, “If a direct flight route between Busan and Nagasaki is established, it will significantly increase mutual tourist visits between the two regions. I hope this will make travel between our citizens much more convenient.”

Air Busan operated charter flights between Busan and Nagasaki Prefecture during the October holiday period—on October 1–2, 4–5, 7–8, and 10–11.

Governor Oishi also introduced Nagasaki Prefecture’s various healthcare support policies and showed great interest in Busan’s healthcare initiatives.

Concluding the meeting, Mayor Park stated, “This year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan, a meaningful milestone. Busan will continue to pursue close and practical cooperation with major Japanese cities.”