On April 22, 2017 a delegation of Aurora government, community, and business leaders will travel to Aurora’s sister city in Seongnam, South Korea to participate in a week-long trade mission. This visit, hosted by Aurora Sister Cities International and Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan, is meant to deepen Aurora’s existing partnership with Seongnam City by introducing Aurora leaders and residents to the institutions, businesses, and leaders that make Seongnam City such a unique place.
Seongnam City is a short 25 minute drive from the capital city of Seoul. It is known as the “Silicon Valley” of Korea as it is home to many tech companies. The city is also known for being eco-friendly and having a lively arts and culture district. Participants on this visit will have the opportunity to get an in-depth look at what makes this city click by spending four days touring City Hall, technology companies, military bases, other key institutions in the city. Participants will also meet with Seongnam City political, business, education, and tourism officials and leaders. On April 26, delegates will participate in a trade conference designed to pair Colorado companies with Korean companies for buying, selling and partnership purposes. That business conference is hosted in partnership with ASCI, World Trade Center Denver, and the Seongnam City trade office.
In March, 2016 Aurora Sister Cities International along with the city of Aurora hosted a delegation of 27 Koreans from Seongnam City. The purpose of this visit was to revitalize Aurora’s sister city relationship with Seongnam City- a relationship that was originally established in 1992. Mayor Jay-myung Lee, other high level city officials, as well as representatives from seven private sector businesses had the opportunity to spend a week learning about Aurora institutions including Buckley Air Force Base, the Aurora Chamber of Commerce, Anschutz Medical Campus, and many more! This visit also paired representatives from Colorado and Korean companies to spark mutually beneficial trade and partnership opportunities.
The trip promises to be one of historical significance as the Republic of Korea undergoes a presidential election and Seongnam City mayor Jae-myung Lee, who visited Aurora last spring, has officially announced his intention to run for the presidential seat!