Lee Yong-seop, mayor of Gwangju, welcomed Guangzhou citizens to the 18th FINA World Championships during a China-South Korea friendship exchange session held in Seoul on June 10. 

According to the mayor, the 18th FINA World Championships will be hosted in Gwangju on July 12 and 15,000 people, including officials and athletes from 200 countries, will join in the event, with one billion people around the world expected to watch the games on TV.

Dressed in special uniforms for the 18th FINA World Championships, Lee displayed Suri and Dari, the two mascots of the international event

The China-South Korea friendship exchange session is held in Seoul on June 10. [Photo/Guangzhou Daily]

Guangzhou and Gwangju have been sister cities for 23 years. The two cities have maintained close exchanges and cooperation in economic, cultural, sports, and other matters over the years.

Despite being a small city with a population of 1.5 million people, the city of Gwangju is a powerful driver that led the fourth industrial revolution in South Korea. It is at the forefront of the South Korean government's efforts to promote artificial intelligence, big data, and the hydrogen economy as future strategic industries.