PRESS RELEASE
June 26, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Sarah Henry, Public Information Officer
(510) 747-4714
Alameda and Yeongdong-gun, South Korea to Establish Sister City Relationship
On June 20, 2017 the Alameda City Council adopted a resolution authorizing the Mayor to sign a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the formulation and implementation of Sister City relations between Yeongdong-gun, South Korea and the City of Alameda.
Yeongdong is located in a mountainous region of South Korea, has a population of just over 50,000, and is one of South Korea’s largest wine producing regions. The Sister City relationship is an opportunity for economic, technological, and cultural exchange between the two cities.
Alameda’s Sister City program is a partnership between the City of Alameda and the nonprofit Alameda Sister Cities Association (ASCA). ASCA and City of Alameda staff worked with Yeongdong officials to plan for a delegation visit from Yeongdong to Alameda from July 2-5, 2017, to participate in our 4th of July celebrations.
The Sister City relationship will be formalized during this delegation visit on July 3, 2017, at 10:00 am in City Council Chambers, and will include remarks from dignitaries including Mayor Trish Herrera Spencer; Councilmember Jim Oddie, District Director of the Office of Assemblymember Rob Bonta; Hee Jeong Matz, Chairperson of the Yeongdong-gun Sister City Subcommittee; Park Se-bok, Mayor of Yeongdong-gun; and Jeong Chun-taek, County Council Chairperson of Yeongdong-gun.
ASCA evaluates and recommends new Sister Cities for adoption, and in February 2017, recommended three new Sister Cities, Varazze in Italy, Wadi Foquin in the Palestinian Territories, and Yeongdong in South Korea. Alameda currently has two active Sister Cities, Jiangyin, China and Dumaguete, Philippines.
Concurrently with the process of formalizing the relationship with Yeongdong, staff is working closely with ASCA to develop guidelines for the Sister City program, including criteria for adoption of new Sister Cities. These guidelines are expected to come to City Council for review and approval in July 2017.
