Bucheon City has held the '21st Bucheon International Youth Homestay' with youths from its sister cities. The event, which began with a welcome ceremony on the 24th and will run for six nights and seven days, is providing youths from four cities in three countries—Korea, China, and Japan—with an opportunity to build special memories together.
This year, 52 youths and their chaperones from Bucheon City, along with Harbin and Weihai in China and Okayama in Japan, participated in the event. At the welcome ceremony, they performed traditional dances and showcased their talents by city, breaking the ice and fostering friendship. Bucheon Mayor Jo Yong-ik encouraged the participants, saying, "I hope this exchange becomes a stepping stone for the growth of our youth."
The homestay program is made up of diverse experiences. The participating youths had time to deeply understand both traditional and modern Korean culture by experiencing traditional Korean culture and learning K-Pop dance and Taekwondo. They also visited local attractions like the Bucheon Municipal Museum and the Korea Manhwa Museum to directly experience Bucheon's history and culture and broaden their understanding. In particular, they had a special time experiencing each other's daily lives and cultures firsthand through the home stay with host families.
Started in 2003, the Bucheon International Youth Homestay is now in its 21st year and has established itself as a leading international youth exchange event for Bucheon City. Bucheon City plans to continue expanding its international youth exchange programs. They will continue various exchange activities, such as participating in the Korea-China-Japan Youth Friendship Baduk Exchange event in Harbin, China in August, and inviting the Kawasaki Youth Football Team from Japan for a friendly match in November.
Through this homestay, youths from different cultural backgrounds shared valuable friendships and gained a precious experience that broadened their international perspectives. It is expected that the friendships they built will become a strong foundation for future cooperation and mutual prosperity among the next generation.
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