Dongducheon City (Mayor Park Hyeong-deok) has expanded its global cooperation network by officially establishing a sister city relationship with Palisades Park, New Jersey, USA. On June 19 (local time), in a ceremony held at Palisades Park City Hall, Mayor Paul Kim and Dongducheon City Mayor Park Hyeong-deok signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on exchange and cooperation. They agreed to pursue close collaboration in various fields, including education, culture, and economy, based on principles of mutual respect and equality. This agreement is highly significant as it institutionalizes the long-standing bond between the two cities and creates a practical platform for future generations' growth.
Palisades Park, located in the northeastern part of Bergen County, New Jersey, is notably one of the areas in the U.S. with the highest concentration of Korean Americans. As of 2010, 51.5% of its total population was of Korean descent, making it a pivotal center for the Korean community. The vibrant Koreatown, centered around Broad Avenue, boasts a diverse array of Korean restaurants, cafes, and shops. It is also a preferred residential area for retired Korean expatriates due to its convenience and cultural familiarity. Within this context, a significant number of Korean expatriates originally from Dongducheon reside there, maintaining continuous ties with their hometown, which served as a crucial impetus for this sister city agreement. Palisades Park Mayor Paul Kim also expressed deep gratitude for the Dongducheon City delegation's visit and showed high expectations for the exchange and cooperation between the two cities.
Dongducheon City, situated in the northern part of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, is a frontline city approximately 47 km from downtown Seoul, serving as a vital axis for national security. Historically, it was a central hub for U.S. Forces Korea, leading to the formation of a unique base town culture. However, with recent U.S. military redeployments and withdrawals, the city is now focusing on urban regeneration and industrial diversification to secure new growth engines. Soosan Mountain, with its exquisite natural scenery, and cultural content like the Dongducheon Rock Festival, are emerging as new attractions. The city is also pursuing a transition into a "new growth self-sufficient city" by developing returned U.S. military base areas for tourism and recreation, and fostering convergence industries through the creation of national industrial complexes.
Following the sister city agreement, both cities plan to concretize practical cooperation measures, including forming a dedicated Task Force (TF) team within one month and planning mutual programs and specific cooperation projects within three months. This aims to provide tangible benefits and expand exchanges that citizens can experience. Exchanges between sister cities typically take various forms, such as student exchange programs in education, reciprocal visits by cultural and artistic performance groups, investment attraction and special product exchanges in the economic sector, and sharing administrative know-how. Dongducheon City and Palisades Park City are also expected to draw synergies in a wide range of areas, referencing these successful cases, including education system exchanges, youth global leadership development programs, mutual participation in cultural festivals, and the discovery of economic cooperation models between businesses in both cities.
Particularly meaningful is the 'Youth Patriotic Scholarship Support Business Agreement' signed on June 17, prior to this sister city agreement, with the Palisades Park Dongducheon Korean Association. This agreement, forged by the patriotism of overseas compatriots who have continuously supported their hometown Dongducheon, and Dongducheon City's policy will to expand educational support for local youth, will be a significant foundation for investing in future generations and strengthening ties between the local community and overseas Koreans. Beyond scholarship support, the plan is to continuously strengthen hometown ties through various human and cultural exchanges.
Dongducheon City Mayor Park Hyeong-deok stated, "I deeply thank the members of the Korean Association who remember and support Dongducheon even overseas. I hope this agreement will bring great hope to our local youth, provide practical help for their studies and careers, and serve as an opportunity to expand Dongducheon City's global network through continuous exchanges with overseas compatriots." Dongducheon City's delegation plans to further expand exchanges with the Palisades Park Dongducheon Korean Association through this agreement and continuously promote various educational and cultural cooperation projects in the future.
This sister city agreement will be a crucial turning point for Dongducheon City to strengthen its international standing and seek new development models amidst a changing urban environment. Through cooperation with Palisades Park City, both cities are expected to promote mutual development and especially solidify the cultural connection through the Korean diaspora. This is anticipated to be the beginning of a meaningful journey that goes beyond simple administrative cooperation, sharing history and culture, and jointly envisioning the future.
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