GWANGJU < invest Korea

According to Yonhap News,

Many are keen on the fact that Gwangju is making utmost efforts to organize large-scale international events.

Gwangju Mayor Gang Un-tae said the city is working to hold five international events: the 2014 Congress of International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage; World Korean Business Convention; Evaluation Committee Meeting for UNESCO Memory of the World; Congress of International Design Alliance and World Swimming Competition.

Currently, the city is competing with Daejeon and Seoul to become the organizer of the irrigation and drainage event. The mayor said Gwangju is granted the priority negotiation right and the final decision will be made within this month.

The event will be a venue where about representatives of 100 countries gather to discuss irrigation facilities, agriculture and food.

Gwangju is also working hard to organize the business convention it failed to last year.

The convention marks the 11th anniversary this year, but it has never been held in Honam region, which increases the chance of the city becoming the host of the global event.

Given that Gwangju May 18 Democratic Movement is registered in the UNESCO Memory of World, becoming the host city of the evaluation committee meeting holds significance for the city.

The congress of International design association is a large event attracting about 4,000 famous designers from all around the world.

The Mayor said Gwangju passed the first round of screening procedure along with three cities in the U.S., Europe and Africa. He emphasized, "If we become the host city, the design event will create synergy effects with the Design Biennale to be held in fall."

The city also focuses on organizing the 18th world swimming competition, scheduled in 2019.

Swimming is one of the most popular sports among people in the world with soccer.

Gwangju, which already underwent preliminary procedures, will submit its application from to the Federation International de Natation.  

It expresses confidence in its ability to hold the competition based on its experience to have  successfully completed the Summer Universiade.

Source Text

Source: Yonhap News (Apr. 2, 2012)

** This is an English translation of a Korean news article.