Officials from Seongnam, South Korea, have signed two more agreements with Fulton County, promising cooperation on economic development and cultural exchange.
The memoranda of understanding contained no concrete commitments but both sides hailed the cordial exchange as foreshadowing major Korean corporate investment in the cities of south Fulton County.
A delegation from Seongnam joined officials from the county and several of its southern cities in the county Government Center assembly hall for the signing ceremony. Two agreements were on the table: one between the city of Seongnam and Fulton County promising “friendly exchanges,” and one between the Development Authority of Fulton County and the Seongnam Industry Promotion Agency pledging cooperation on business and investment.
“This is all about relationships,” Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts said. “And this is the foundation for a relationship between this historic city, and Fulton County, and the cities in south Fulton County.”
Pitts visited Seongnam in August, returning there in April with a delegation from the county and College Park, East Point and Fairburn.
“The purpose in my trip to Korea was twofold: first and foremost, to introduce government officials, business leaders and the public at large to Fulton County, Georgia; and second of all, to identify businesses in Korea that would have an interest in investing in Fulton County,” he said.
Seongnam Mayor Sang-Jin Shin said the ongoing reciprocal visit is a direct response to Pitts’ visits.
Seongnam, with a population of about 1 million, is home to Pangyo Tech Valley, a development and manufacturing complex that is the site of more than 1,000 high-tech companies. Shin endorsed stronger ties between the area and Fulton County, predicting that the formal agreements are just the beginning of cooperation that will lead to more development for both places.
Kwanza Hall, vice chair of Develop Fulton, anticipated “logistics, robotics, AI” firms investing in Fulton County, emphasizing that the county’s southern half is the target.
Following the signing ceremony, local and Korean delegates posed for group photos and exchanged official gifts.
On Saturday night the Korean delegation was welcomed with a reception at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park. There, a similar agreement was signed between College Park and Korean firm Hills Robotics. Shin said that agreement is for the sale of two Hills’ robots, which will be displayed in the city. Another such agreement is being signed with Fairburn, he said.
College Park City Councilman Joe Carn, who joined the April trip to Seongnam, said that visit included development pitches to 23 companies, some of which expressed interest in establishing operations here.
The itinerary for Korean officials’ visit to Fulton County includes meetings at Georgia Tech, College Park, East Point and Fairburn.
A letter from Hills Robotics says the company wants to collaborate with the county and Georgia Tech on a strategic partnership for research and development.
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