Gwangju Metropolitan City Mayor Kang Ki-jung, left, receives a certificate of appreciation from Paraguayan Ambassador to Korea Miguel Angel Ubaldino Romero Alvarez for donating fire trucks to the South American country at city hall, Tuesday. Courtesy of Gwangju Metropolitan City

Gwangju Metropolitan City received a certificate of appreciation from the Paraguayan ambassador, recognizing the city's support in providing fire trucks to Paraguay during a ceremony at city hall, Tuesday.

Gwangju officials met with Miguel Angel Ubaldino Romero Alvarez, the Paraguayan ambassador to Korea, to discuss ongoing firefighting exchanges. The ambassador expressed his gratitude by presenting an appreciation document to both Gwangju City and the Gwangju Fire Department for their cooperative efforts in firefighting support.

Since establishing their partnership in 2018, Gwangju and Paraguay have collaborated on several initiatives, including the donation of fire trucks and the provision of educational training.

Last year, Gwangju dispatched a team to Paraguay to conduct local training sessions. This year, 18 Paraguayan firefighters were invited to the Gwangju Fire Academy, where they are undergoing training related to disaster response and emergency medical services.

From 2018 to 2022, Gwangju donated 37 decommissioned fire trucks to Paraguay. This year, the city plans to provide an additional 12 fire trucks.

"Korea has been the most supportive and cooperative country in improving Paraguay's firefighting facilities," Romero Alvarez said. "The relationship with Gwangju, which began in 2018, feels like a bond with family and friends beyond mere diplomatic ties. The support from Gwangju City, including fire trucks, training and technical exchanges, has been invaluable in protecting the safety of our citizens."

Gwangju Mayor Kang Ki-jung highlighted the importance of international collaboration in disaster response.

"As natural and social disasters occur in increasingly diverse forms, we must learn and grow from each other's disaster response systems," Kang said. "We need to further develop educational programs to strengthen the role of firefighters who are on the frontline of protecting citizens."