Kim Young Geun: Hubei Is Going Global

By Bo Ning & Chen Chen

On the afternoon of May 13,we had a conversation with Mr.Kim Young Geun,the South Korean Consul General in Wuhan,to hear his impressions and expectations for Hubei Province.

Cataclysmic Changes

Thirty years ago I was aboard a ship from Chongqing to Wuhan where we took a short break.It was the small hour of the night

then.Wuhan was not a place with many tall buildings and modernized facilities in my memory.And I am surprised to find that great changes have taken place in Wuhan now.You could even say that they were cataclysmic changes.

2019 中国华中地区韩国语演讲大赛总决赛全体参赛人员合影留念Participants in the final of the 2019 Korean Speech Contest in Central China

Wuhan is a city boasting of its beautiful landscape and long history.It was also the place where the Three Kingdoms fought against each other about two thousand years ago.If you have a chance to visit the Hubei Provincial Museum you can deeply immerge in the history of the province.Moreover,Wuhan is located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River over 6,300 kilometer long.It excels itself in natural resources which provide a solid ground for its rapid development quantitatively and qualitatively.The rising of many skyscrapers is the index of the quantitative development while the establishment of transit lines,the booming of a clothing industry and improvement of people’s health consciousness are the indication of the qualitative development.

Ten years ago,South Korea decided to set up its consulate general in Wuhan,to supervise the Central China Region covering Hubei,Henan,Hunan and Jiangxi provinces.If we compare the four provinces’ location to the abdomen of a human body,Wuhan is the navel.You can go to any other city of the four provinces by rail,cruiser or air from Wuhan.

It is more noticed that Wuhan is a metropolitan city with a population of 12 million people.In addition,127 universities and colleges,with 1.3 million students in total,are located here,which will yield more young bloods for its growth and its future.

On-going Cooperation

The cooperation between South Korea and Hubei has been active in economic and cultural fields.China has a massive marketplace with great demand.South Korea has advantages in clothing,makeup,high tech and other fields.If both sides can reinforce cooperation,then there will be a win-win situation.Currently,South Korea and Hubei are already actively working together in the petrochemical industry,electric cables,semiconductors and others tate-of-the-art technologies.

The Chinese version of Seoul’s Dongdaemun Clothing Market is going to settle in Wuhan.It will be home to 150 South Korean clothing companies and 200 Chinese ones,which will raise the curtain for an interchange between Korean and Chinese clothing styles.

Recently,our consulate has also invited a number of famous South Korean groups,like the Jinjo Crew and Nanta,to the Qintai Grand Theatre to put on performances,which were warmly welcomed by the audience.At the end of July or beginning of August this year we may also organize a Tae Kwon Do exchange competition in Wuhan.

In the field of education,there is extensive room for cooperation.Currently,at Wuhan University there are 272 South Korean students.In South Korean cities like Seoul,Cheongju,etc.there are many Chinese students.As China’s economy grows,more and more Koreans tend to study Chinese.

South Korea and Hubei can also work together in exploring such agricultural technology as seed amelioration,breed innovation,floriculture,etc.In so doing,exports will be on the increase and foreign exchange incomes escalate.It will also improve the quality of life for farmers and boost their sense of happiness.

Hubei is home to many tourist destinations as the Yangtze River,the Three Gorges Dam,Shennongjia,the Wudang Mountains,the Yellow Crane Tower,the Enshi Grand Canyon and numerous cultural relics and historic monuments.South Korea is also one of the preferred destinations for Hubei people to go sightseeing.There exists room for cooperation in the area of tourism for both sides.

Win-win Future

I feel that Gwangju City in South Korea and Wuhan,the capital city of Hubei Province are quite similar in many aspects as transportation,highspeed rail,aviation shipping,logistics and higher education.In my eyes,both Wuhan and Gwangju are strong in higher education and ambitious for internationalization.

At the moment,the number of Koreans working or studying in Wuhan is about 2000 and at the end of the year it will increase.Since China is promoting the urban development in the inland areas,many more Korean companies will open up shops there.

Based on the principle of long-term cooperation,South Korea and the Central China Region including Hubei,should focus on strengthening people’s healthcare,promoting industrial competitiveness and reinforcing cooperation in high-tech industry.Both sides can learn from each other’s advantages,perfect themselves and gain mutual benefits.The two sides are now having positive conversations towards cooperation in the medical industry,hoping to come up with breakthroughs at an early date for diabetes,hypertension,cosmetic skin care,etc.

Peoples on both sides especially emphasize diet and healthcare.The flavors of food that we enjoy are also quite similar.I really like many dishes from Hubei province,especially lotus root.It has many healthy benefits.Koreans really like it,but in Korea it’s not everywhere like it is in Hubei.It’s expensive and hard to buy.Furthermore,Koreans and people from Hubei like to eat meat,it’s just that Koreans love to eat barbecue.In the future,the catering industry can also look into more channels for cooperation.

(Photos courtesy of Consulate General of the Republic of Korea,Wuhan)