Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koichi Mizushima, left, shakes hands with Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon after agreeing to enhance cooperation between Busan and Japan at Busan City Hall, Thursday. Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan City

Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon met with Japanese Ambassador to Korea Koichi Mizushima to discuss mutual exchange and cooperation between Busan and Japan, Thursday.

The meeting, which took place at Busan City Hall, was aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and exploring new avenues for collaboration. The ambassador was in Busan for the first time to attend the "US-ROK-JAPAN Trilateral Global Leadership Youth Summit 2024."

"I hope this event will deepen the bond between the two countries and serve as a great opportunity for young people to grow into global leaders," Park said, highlighting the recovery of tourism in Busan, noting that the number of visitors has returned to about 67 percent of pre-COVID levels. Park emphasized the need for the embassy's assistance in attracting more Japanese tourists and actively promoting exchanges between Busan and Japan.

Mizushima responded positively, acknowledging the significance of the upcoming 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan.

"Next year marks a milestone for our countries, and since Busan is a city with deep ties to Japan, let's cooperate even more closely," Mizushima said.