Impressing the relatives

Impressing the relatives
Sister city praises Vallejo meeting style
By JESSICA A. YORK/Times-Herald staff writer
Article Launched: 05/28/2008

City Council spectating in one small South Korean town has improved in recent years - because of Vallejo.

A delegation of South Korean municipal officials from the city of Jincheon descended upon Vallejo's City Hall on Tuesday. The group, residents of Vallejo's sister city Jincheon in South Korea, was led by its city council chairman, Jung Kwang Sub, who had first visited Vallejo in 2002 as a representative for a council member.

Sub told Vallejo city officials that he had been impressed by how Vallejo's council chambers allowed easier viewing of meetings, which led to a similar structural setup to his own city after his visit. After this visit, Sub said he hopes to duplicate the city's general public comment period at the beginning of his council meetings. He also spoke of how impressed he was with Napa vineyards that had been passed down from generation to generation.

The delegates were introduced and translated for by Vallejo resident William Kim, a 30-year Vallejo business owner and a Korean-American. Kim had helped forge the relationship between the two cities nearly a decade ago, when he and his Tae Kwon Do students began attending word championship events in Jincheon.

Vallejo Sister City Board Member Diji Christian welcomed the delegation in Korean, with an enthusiastic response from the crowd.

Tuesday's stop at City Hall allowed Vallejo mayor Osby Davis and Sub to meet for the first time, solidifying the sister city relationship, said Kim.

"The main purpose is to enhance the relationship," Kim said while awaiting the delegation's tour bus. "They want to kind of reconnect."

The Jincheon group, which included Sub, a council vice chairman, five city council members, city staff and a reporter, had just returned from a two-day visit of the Colorado Springs Olympic Complex. Their Vallejo tour was expected to include Mare Island, the Maritime Academy and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.

Jincheon, one of six Vallejo sister cities - has been united with this city since 2002.

"The mayor gave us a warm welcome - we feel very uplifted," Sub said, translated by Kim. "I want to have an everlasting friendship continue between Jincheon and Vallejo."

Other Vallejo sister cities include Akashi, Japan; Bagamoyo, Tanzania; Baguio, Philippines; La Spezia, Italy and Trondheim, Norway.

• Contact Jessica A. York at 553-6834 or at jyork@thnewsnet.com