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INTERVIEW Columbus mayor keeps door open for Korean firms
B.H. “Skip” Henderson III, mayor of Columbus, Ga. / Courtesy of Choose Columbus
By Ko Dong-hwan
Sister-city deal with Jinju to boost exchanges
The economy of Columbus, Ga. could benefit from the growing presence and business expansion of Korean firms if the U.S. city capitalizes on its recently signed sister-city partnership with Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, according to its mayor.
Mayor B.H. “Skip” Henderson III said the city has already built up a history of exchange and coexistence with Korean universities and workers. He believes Columbus will thrive further if its new alliance with Jinju shifts toward creating a welcoming environment for new Korean businesses.
“Our sister-city deal with Jinju will grow in a number of different ways. An interesting thing about our visit to Jinju is that each member of the Columbus delegation for this trip has different areas of special interest, and they all benefit from a relationship with a city like Jinju,” Henderson said in an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul on Oct. 29.
The interview took place a day after the conclusion of the two-day 2025 Jinju International Forum on Entrepreneurship, where Henderson joined representatives from the Korean city’s business investment agency, education sector and local companies to lead a key session. The mayor highlighted that Columbus’ deep-rooted spirit of “servant leadership” among local business leaders resonates with that of Jinju — the birthplace of founders of global conglomerates such as LG, Samsung, GS and Hyosung — which has earned it a reputation as the cradle of “K-entrepreneurship.”
Columbus Mayor Henderson, sixth from right, and Jinju Mayor Jo Kyoo-il, center, celebrate signing a sister-city agreement between the two cities at Jinju City Hall in South Gyeongsang Province, Oct. 26. Courtesy of Jinju City
Henderson signed the sister-city agreement with Jinju Mayor Jo Kyoo-il on Oct. 26. The deal included establishing close ties, promoting exchanges, sharing knowledge and information and creating a favorable environment for sustainable cooperation.
The Jinju forum began on Oct. 27. On the first day, the mayor highlighted some parallels between Columbus and Jinju as context for the sister-city agreement. He said both cities saw major growth in the textile industry, experienced significant industrial development along their local rivers and have a history of distinguished business leadership that improved the lives of local residents.
He added that both cities boast advanced manufacturing industries and share ambitions to strategically develop their aerospace sectors. Columbus State University President Stuart Rayfield and Missy Kendrick, president and CEO of the city’s investment promotion agency Choose Columbus, also participated in the session dedicated to the U.S. city.
“Wouldn’t it be really great if we could bring to Columbus another forum like the Jinju forum to really put a stamp of globalism? If we could bring another forum about entrepreneurship to Columbus and still call it K-entrepreneurship, so that it gives Jinju the credit, but really start having those communications in the global context," said Henderson, son of a 1950-53 Korean War veteran.
That would be a great place to start bringing Koreans from their country and carry that another step further."
Columbus has a Korean population of around 2,200, the second-largest in Georgia after Atlanta. Koreans are now an integral part of the city’s industry and education. Korean automobile giant Kia has its only American manufacturing plant in the state, located 64 kilometers north of Columbus. Kendrick noted that employees of the plant’s suppliers and their families have settled in Columbus, adding to the city’s Korean population.
The Korea Defense Veterans Association celebrates the establishment of its regional chapter at Columbus State University in Georgia, Aug. 29, 2024. The chapter marks the nonprofit organization’s first based at an American university. Front row right is Lee Dae-woo, director of the Korean Institute at Columbus State University. Courtesy of Columbus State University
“It’s an opportunity to provide that Korean community, culture and lifestyle to potential new industries that are coming in,” she said. “Columbus has a large Korean population. So we want to leverage that and create a welcoming space for Korean companies that might be interested in coming to the U.S. and specifically to Columbus.”
The Korean community’s presence in Columbus is particularly strong in the field of education. At Columbus State University, about five percent of faculty members are from Korea. Earlier this year, the university established the Korean Institute at Columbus State University to promote a deeper understanding of Korean studies and strengthen ties within the Georgia-Korea economic partnership.
The university has also formed partnerships with five Korean universities, creating a range of exchange opportunities. As part of one such program, piano students from Chonnam National University in Gwangju visited Columbus State’s Schwob School of Music earlier this year for a two-week masterclass residency.
Henderson believes the Columbus-Jinju partnership has given him a chance to explore new ways for his city to develop further.
“One of the exciting things about this sister city relationship is that there’s an outward acknowledgement from both Jinju and Columbus that this is something we really want to explore," he said.
"We want to look for ways to try to bring a multitude of Korean companies to Columbus, Ga., and that’s one of the things that we see as a tremendous opportunity for both cities."