Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Municipal partnerships accelerate Korea-China thaw
President Lee Jae Myung speaks to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during a reception at a hotel in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Oct. 31. Joint Press Corps
By Jung Min-ho
Sister cities revitalize ties after years of THAAD-triggered diplomatic rift
Korean and Chinese municipalities have begun renewing ties, marking a notable turnaround in bilateral relations.
Spurred on by a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in Gyeongju, regional leaders in both countries are now moving to restore cooperation after years of stagnation stemming from the 2016 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) dispute, which erupted after Korea deployed the U.S. missile defense system that China strongly opposed as a threat to its national security.
A clear sign of this thaw in local diplomacy can be seen in Hwaseong, which sent a city delegation to China from Nov. 6 to 8 in order to strengthen local government networking. During the visit, the delegates met with Sun Daoxun, the district chief of Wujiang in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, along with other key officials.
Crucially, it was the first dialogue between the cities in a decade, signaling a commitment to revive regular exchanges and develop new models of cooperation in the economy, culture, and beyond, according to the Hwaseong city government.
“The APEC summit in Gyeongju laid the foundation for this meaningful partnership,” Jeong Myung-geun, mayor of Hwaseong, said.
North Gyeongsang Province Deputy Governor Yang Geum-hee, third from right, smiles during a meeting with China's city delegation led by Vice Governor Li Tao of Henan Province at the provincial government building in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, Nov. 6. Courtesy of North Gyeongsang Provincial Government
In a similar move, Deputy Governor Yang Geum-hee of North Gyeongsang Province met Vice Governor Li Tao of Henan Province on Nov. 6 to discuss robust bilateral cooperation in trade, logistics and culture. This meeting reciprocated Yang’s May visit to Henan, where a renewed sister-city agreement was signed and plans were set to jointly host the “Korea-China Future Cooperation Plaza” and celebrate the 30th anniversary of their partnership.
Yang described the successful conclusion of the APEC summit between Korea and China as a crucial milestone in local economic and cultural relations and vowed to keep up the momentum in future provincial partnerships.
Economic and business ties are also deepening.
Last week, the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority, a public institution run by local authorities in the two cities, announced that it had launched a new “China Business Attraction Network Plan” to attract Chinese investment.
The effort aims for systematic outreach, updating lists of Chinese business associations, preparing targeted language materials and organizing promotional events in major cities like Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
Cultural and tourism links are also expanding. Ahead of the 2026 World Islands Expo in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, Mayor Jeong Ki-myeong secured participation agreements during recent visits to sister cities Weihai, Lishui, and Shaoxing. With a target of attracting 300,000 foreign visitors, including roughly 90,000 from China, the Yeosu city government aims to boost regional tourism and strengthen the city’s profile as a hub for international exchange.
Local leaders in several Seoul districts have embraced the thaw as well.
Officials in Dobong, Guro and Dongdaemun recently held meetings with their Chinese counterparts, seeking to renew collaboration across a range of issues.
Lee Pil-hyung, center, head of Seoul's Dongdaemun District, poses with other members of his delegation in this photo taken during their visit to Beijing from Oct. 10 to 12. Courtesy of Dongdaemun District Office
After returning from his three-day visit to Yanqing District in Beijing last week, Lee Pil-hyung said the time has come to “move beyond symbolic visits toward concrete, mutually beneficial achievements.”
According to data released by the office of Rep. Park Jeong-hyeon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, as of 2024, 243 municipalities nationwide maintained 1,932 friendship and sister-city agreements with partners in 92 countries. China accounted for 700 of these links, far ahead of Japan (209), the United States (188) and other countries.
With high-level support from the central governments, the scale of this wave of bottom-up diplomacy is poised to continue to expand this year.