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Busan Meets with British Ambassador to the Republic of Korea to Discuss Expanding Practical Cooperation in Maritime Exchange and City-to-City Partnerships

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Busan Metropolitan City announced that Mayor Chun Jae-soo met with Colin Crooks, British Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, at the International Protocol Room of Busan City Hall at 4:00 p.m. yesterday, September 10, and discussed Korea-UK relations as well as ways to expand exchange and cooperation between Busan and the United Kingdom.

Ambassador Colin Crooks returned to Busan about two months after meeting Mayor Chun during Princess Anne's visit to Busan in July at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea.

Mayor Chun first welcomed the ambassador, saying, "We met at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea during Princess Anne's visit to Busan in July, and I am very pleased to see you again in Busan just over two months later."

Korea and the United Kingdom have maintained a strong friendship to this day based on the special ties forged during the Korean War, and Princess Anne's visit in July also served as a meaningful opportunity to reaffirm the historic bonds between the two countries.

Ambassador Colin Crooks responded, saying, "I am delighted to visit Busan again, and I find it very meaningful that exchanges between Busan Metropolitan City and the United Kingdom continue to expand, including through Princess Anne's recent visit to Busan."

Mayor Chun continued, "As Busan and cities in the United Kingdom are engaged in exchanges across a variety of fields, I hope cooperation between the two sides will continue to deepen. I also hope that Busan, selected as the host city of the 2028 United Nations Ocean Conference, will further develop as a leading global maritime city and that cooperation between Busan and the United Kingdom will become even more active in maritime affairs and many other fields."

Mayor Chun also noted the recent development of meaningful maritime exchange connecting Busan and the United Kingdom.

The PanStar Ark, which departed Busan Port on August 22, embarked on a pilot voyage along a new maritime transport route linking major European ports, with the Port of Felixstowe in the United Kingdom as its first European port of call.

Mayor Chun said, "It is highly significant that a vessel departing from Busan is connecting with the Port of Felixstowe, one of the United Kingdom's leading ports. Given that both Busan and the United Kingdom have grown and prospered through their relationship with the sea, I hope exchanges and cooperation will expand further in a wide range of areas, including ports and shipping."

The two sides also exchanged views on tangible achievements in exchange and cooperation between Busan and cities in the United Kingdom.

Since signing a Friendship City Cooperation Agreement with the Liverpool City Region in the United Kingdom in 2023, Busan has continued exchanges and cooperation in a range of fields, including digital and smart cities, clean energy, carbon neutrality, maritime affairs, and ports. Construction is also scheduled to begin on the Busan campus of Royal Russell School, a prestigious private school from London, in the Myeongji International New City.

Concluding the meeting, Mayor Chun said, "Busan and the United Kingdom are important partners to one another, built on longstanding historical ties. Busan Metropolitan City will continue to expand exchanges with major cities and institutions in the United Kingdom and work to ensure that cooperation between the two sides leads to tangible outcomes that citizens can experience in their daily lives."