To commemorate the 20th anniversary of its friendly city partnership with Wuhan, China, Daejeon City is holding the "Daejeon-Wuhan Youth Invitation Sports Exchange" event from October 23 to 26.

Since establishing a friendly city relationship on November 1, 2006, Daejeon and Wuhan have continued exchange and cooperation in various fields, including sports team exchanges, calligraphy and painting exhibition exchanges, and performance troupe participation. This event was prepared to expand exchanges centered around the future generation—the youth—to mark the 20th anniversary of the partnership and to further solidify friendly relations between the two cities.

A total of 35 participants are expected to take part in this event, including 17 athletes and officials from the Daejeon Metropolitan Basketball Association, and 18 students and officials from Jianghan University in Wuhan, China.

The main programs consist of ▲ a friendly basketball match linked with the 2026 Daejeon Metropolitan Basketball Association President's Cup Tournament, ▲ a cultural tour of Daejeon’s old downtown, ▲ Hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) and traditional craft experiences, ▲ participation in Daejeon’s local festivals, and ▲ visits and exchanges at local universities.

In particular, the friendly basketball match held at the indoor gymnasium of Dong-A Meister High School on October 24 will provide an opportunity for youths from both cities to understand each other’s cultures and build friendships through sports. Following the match, participants will explore Daejeon's old downtown area, including Sungsimdang and Eunhang-dong’s Culture Street, to experience the region's culture and tourism resources.

On October 25, participants will experience Hanbok and traditional crafts at the Korea Center for Filial Culture, and explore possibilities for cooperation in education and physical education through visits and exchanges at universities located in Daejeon. In addition, schedules to experience Daejeon's diverse cultural resources, such as visiting the Yuseong Chrysanthemum Festival and the Expo Science Park Square area, are planned.

Through this exchange, Daejeon City plans to broaden mutual understanding and cultural empathy between the youths of the two cities, and vitalize international exchanges mediated by sports. Furthermore, the city plans to establish a sustainable foundation for international cooperation by expanding exchanges into various fields such as culture, education, and arts and athletics, rather than ending with a one-time event.

Park Ji-ho, Director of the International Relations Division at Daejeon City, stated, "It is very meaningful for the youth, who are our future generation, to understand each other and share friendship through sports and culture to mark the 20th anniversary of our friendly city partnership. We will continue to expand exchange and cooperation with Wuhan in various fields to further develop the friendly relations between the two cities."

Meanwhile, Daejeon City has continued its cooperative relationship with Wuhan by promoting various projects, not only sports exchanges, but also calligraphy and painting exhibitions and performance troupe exchanges.

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