Phan Van Mai, the chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, talks with Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon and city officials in Busan, Sept. 26. Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan Government
By Jung Da-hyun
Phan Van Mai, the chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, has sought cooperation with Korea’s two major cities: Seoul and Busan.
The Vietnamese official attended the World Cities Summit Mayors Forum (WCSMF) in Seoul, Sept. 25 and traveled to the southern port city the following day.
During WCSMF, Phan shared Ho Chi Minh City’s policies and extensive experience in establishing a comprehensive social security system with mayors from 30 countries worldwide.
“The policies implemented have been acknowledged by the U.N. for their significant contributions to the country. It is indeed an honor to share this experience among esteemed leaders from cities across the globe,” he said.
Ho Chi Minh City’s social security system encompasses policies aimed at job creation, a guaranteed minimum income, social insurance and emergency assistance. Furthermore, the city provides essential social services such as healthcare and education through its policies.
Following the forum, Phan visited Busan to meet with Mayor Park Heong-joon, holding discussions about ways to bolster exchanges and collaboration between the two cities.
This marked his first trip to Busan, during which he explored the city’s subway system.
“This visit provided a valuable opportunity to visually inspect the transportation system, including Busan’s urban railway. We aspire to learn from Busan’s exemplary transportation system and implement similar strategies in our city,” he said. He also extended an invitation to Mayor Park to visit Ho Chi Minh City.
Ho Chi Minh City is nearing the completion of its Subway Line 1, expected to be finalized by the end of this year with test runs scheduled for early next year.
Additionally, the city has plans to host an international film festival like Busan.
“We hope Busan will share its wealth of experience in organizing international events,” he said.
