The newest sister city relationship for the City of Yakima will become official on Saturday, September 22nd during a special signing ceremony beginning at 6:00 pm at the Gazebo on the grounds of State Fair Park.
Yakima and Hadong, County, South Korea will seal their sister city relationship when Hadong County Mayor Youn Sang-Ki and Yakima City Councilmember Holly Cousens sign documents during Saturday’s ceremony.
All Yakima community members and media are invited to the signing ceremony.
The connection between the Yakima area and Hadong County, which is located in the Gyeongsang province on the southern edge of the Korean Peninsula, has grown over about the last five years. Representatives of Hadong County’s Wild Tea Cultural Festival have come to the Central Washington State Fair during that time to run a booth featuring the region’s renowned green tea.
Groups from Yakima, which have included Central Washington State Fair representatives, have also visited Hadong County. In May of this year, Cousens traveled with a Yakima delegation to South Korea to further explore the possibility of a sister city relationship between Yakima and Hadong County.
This fall, the Yakima City Council gave its approval to make Hadong County Yakima’s newest sister city.
Mayor Youn, Cousens, and the 14 other members of the Hadong County delegation will ride in new and classic Corvettes in the Sunfair Parade earlier in the day on Saturday. The iconic American cars are being provided by the Yakima Valley Vettes club.
In addition to the signing ceremony, their appearance in the Sunfair Parade, and operating the green tea booth at this year’s Central Washington State Fair, the Hadong County delegation will be involved in other activities over the next week or so including tours of Yakima agricultural facilities, wine tasting, and dinners with local elected officials and others.
Any media interested in interviewing Mayor Youn on Saturday following the Sunfair Parade should contact City of Yakima Communications & Public Affairs Director Randy Beehler by phone (901-1142) or e-mail (randy.beehler@yakimawa.gov).
Yakima-Hadong County Sister City Signing Ceremony – News Release