Gwangju’s Six Sisters

Photo of Gwangju Pavilion courtesy of The Word Online

Photo of Gwangju Street Plaque courtesy of Pius Silvanus

Logo courtesy of Sister Cities International

The advantages of alliances between countries are well known, but what additional benefits are there when countries’ individual cities join together too?

Sister cities or twin towns have been part of global history since 1951, and Gwangju has taken part since 1968. After World War II finished, the Association du Monde Bilingue, a French organization founded by Jean-Marie Bressand, stepped forward with an innovative concept that advocated education and understanding between any pair of interested cities. According to this organization’s website, peace is the measure by which all ties, relations and trading occurs between cities.

The differences between twin towns and sister cities begin with the terms themselves; the United Kingdom (U.K.) and the United States (U.S.) respectively have deemed such relationships by different standards. According to the online forum Chacha, the U.K. and some European countries use the term twin towns for partnerships with other cities in Europe, whereas the U.S. uses the term sister cities for partnerships with cities that share similar cultures and/or historical backgrounds.

Gwangju follows the American standard, claiming five cities around the world for sisters. Each relationship has continued to be advanced and reaffirmed since its inception. Gwangju can easily define itself and show its efforts, but what have their other sister cities said and done for the City of Light to illuminate new thoughts on their relationships?

Gwangju’s sister city linking began with Tainan, Taiwan in 1968. According to the Gwangju Metropolitan City (GMC) website, Gwangju and Tianan have held youth orchestra visits and concerts, Tianan has participated in the Gwangju Design Biennale and both countries have held cultural exchanges. Also, Daenam-ro(대남로), the street that passes Chosun University and connects the Namgwangju-sa (4) with Nongseong’s subway metro stops, was named to honor Tianan (the Korean equivalent is from Chinese) in their sister city agreement. In Tianan, there is also a street entitled “Gwangju-ro.”

According to the Saint International Relations website maintained by the city of San Antonio, Texas, Gwangju is considered “an important governmental, cultural and artistic center.” Since 1982, San Antonio has officially valued the preserved records of Baekje culture and the Chosun Period, along with the modern-exhibition of the Gwangju Biennale, among Gwangju’s highlights. Information from the GMC website states that San Antonio has planted trees in remembrance of the May 18 Uprising, sent delegates to exchange economic ideas and provided public servants as everlasting gifts to develop the cities’ bond. San Antonio states that Gwangju “offers many incentives to foreign companies looking to establish a base in South Korea.”

Gwangju and Guangzhou, China formed their sister bond in 1996. Sharing very similar pronunciations, Guangzhou representatives have visited the Biennale and both countries have hosted cultural arts events. According to the GMC website, “Guangzhou Street” runs in front of Gwangju’s World Cup Stadium and has a monument honoring the Chinese soccer team for playing a preliminary match in the 2002 World Cup competitions. In Guangzhou’s Undae Park, Gwangju has been honored with a symbolic monument. Additional information from Wang Xianmin, the new Chinese Consul-General of Gwangju who was profiled in February 2014’s edition of Gwangju News, affirms these facts. “The relationship between Gwangju and Guangzhou will have the same connotations on economic and social development, leading people to have wonderful lives, maintaining peace, stability and development of these regions and for the world.”

Medan, Indonesia has shared a sister relationship with Gwangju since 1997. Listed on the GMC website, the two cities’ relationship has developed through student home stays, entrepreneur visits and observation of industrial complexes in both countries. Translated from the Indonesian website Pemko Medan, an article discussing the development roles within Medan extending to other country’s cities shows that after Medan performed at the World Cup, Medan representatives were then invited to attend Gwangju’s GIC Day in 2008. Also, both cities have streets honoring each other, with Medan Street near the World Cup.

A strengthening link between Gwangju and Sendai, Japan began in 2002.  According to the GMC website, to incorporate Korean culture into Japanese society Senia has installed the “Lake Gwangju” city bus line, operational since April 2002. An interesting fact is that Sendai also has an official agreement with Tainan, Taiwan. According to the Sendai Half website, this partnership is a different type of program and was finalized in 2006. Tainan is also the same city that Gwangju first became sisters with, showing that a full-circle effect of global bonding is possible and has indeed begun.

In addition, Gwangju has entered into a friendly partnership with Torino, Italy. What the two countries do not have in terms of a sister bond, they are presently formulating, as Torino artists from the Politcnico di Torino and Gwangju artists from the Biennale have exchanged work.

Gwangju News is pleased to run a special mini-series profiling the relations between each of the cities in various ways. In more detail, we will share more details of current relations between Gwangju and its sister cities, what future prospects are in store for Gwangju and what Gwangju residents can do to help with relations overseas. The “Sister City” series will begin in April’s edition of Gwangju News.