Belize City Council Signs Sister-City Accord with Busan, South Korea

The Belize City Council has signed a sister-city accord with Busan Metropolitan City, in the Republic of South Korea. The accord will see cooperation in a number of areas including research and development. Prime Minister John Briceno and Belize City Mayor, Bernard Wagner were there for the official signing, along with the Mayor of Busan City, Park Heong-joon. Following the signing the Belize City Council issued an official statement, saying that the agreement is the result of a diplomatic visit the Prime Minister made to South Korea back in May. The Council also noted, quote, “Central to this new partnership is the ambition to create student exchange programs at Busan’s university, known for its specialization in oceanography. The program aims to offer Belizean students invaluable opportunities to partake in applied research and development, with a particular emphasis on preserving the Belize Barrier Reef.”  End of quote.  Both municipalities are looking at the potential for shared growth and cooperation through the sister-city relationship. Busan is South Korea’s second most populated city with a total population of 3.4 million people as of 2017. It is second only to Seoul. Busan is also the home of the world’s largest department store called Shinsegae Centum City.