Gangwon State to Hold a Relay of International Exchanges in September, Linking Japan, Canada, Vietnam and the Philippines

[Financial News, Chuncheon = Reporter Kim Gi-seop] Gangwon State will launch a relay of international exchanges throughout September, connecting Japan, Canada, Vietnam and the Philippines.
According to Gangwon State on the 31st, the province will host a delegation from Nagano Prefecture, led by the head of its Planning and Promotion Department, from Sept. 1 to 3 to mark the 10th anniversary of their friendship exchange agreement. The two sides have cooperated in areas such as forestry and semiconductors, and this visit will serve as a review of their achievements ahead of a commemorative ceremony scheduled for December in Nagano Prefecture. The delegation will hold a meeting on best practices in digital administration, discuss working-level cooperation at the Smart Gangwon Integrated Support Center, and visit major provincial institutions and universities.
Cooperation with the Province of Alberta in Canada will also continue in health care and future industries. On the 8th, seven officials, including Alberta's health minister and deputy minister, will visit Wonju Medical Center to share the status of public medical institutions in the province and policies to improve access to care in underserved areas. On the 22nd, the Gangwon-Alberta Future Industry Cooperation Roundtable will be held at Wonju Medical Industry Technovalley. Alberta's deputy minister and a delegation of deputy ministers in international affairs, technological innovation and health will attend to share the province's policies on AI healthcare and the transition to medical AI, while also introducing local companies seeking to enter the Canadian market. Since 2024, the two regions have held annual meetings to share systems for fostering key industries such as bio and hydrogen.
Exchanges with Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam are also planned. The province will attend Friendship Dialogue 2026, which will be held in Ho Chi Minh City from Sept. 10 to 12. It will be the first international event hosted by the newly integrated Ho Chi Minh City, which became a megacity of 14 million people after an administrative reorganization last July. More than 600 local government officials from 33 countries are expected to take part. Gangwon State will give a presentation on the importance of local diplomacy and the expansion of practical cooperation, and will also hold bilateral talks with Ho Chi Minh City.
In addition, the province will run an international training program for 15 public officials and experts from the Mindanao region of the Philippines for two weeks starting on the 27th at the International City Training Center. The program, carried out in cooperation with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), will combine classroom instruction and field visits under the theme of Gangwon-style sustainable regional development policy.
"This will be an opportunity to create tangible cooperation results in health care, digital administration and regional development," said Kim Young-gyun, director of international cooperation for Gangwon State. "We will continue to deliver international cooperation outcomes that residents can actually feel."

[email protected] Kim Gi-seop Reporter