By Kay Scrimger
May 19, 2008

Conference of Mayors Executive Director and CEO Tom Cochran on May 9 received a delegation of eight mayors and local officials from Korea and two officials from the Korea Local Government Center in New York City.

Cochran welcomed the Korean delegation on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the mayors of the United States. He pointed out the strong advocacy role of the Conference in fighting for the needs of urban and suburban areas and the people of their U.S. communities.

“The Conference brings mayors to Washington (DC) to confront the Congress and the White House on many issues. Cities need national government support in a number of critical policy areas, including transportation, infrastructure, the environment, energy, and others. The Conference of Mayors fights for mayors, their cities and their people,” he said.

Cochran also pointed out, “If our metropolitan economies are strong, then our nation will be strong.”

He exchanged information with the Korean mayors about their system of local government and the responsibilities of local areas in their nation. The Korean mayors noted that their present local government system has been developing since 1995, when their nation moved from a centralized authority to decentralizing power with its 250 local governments.

Both Cochran and the mayors from Korea exchanged views and information about the key challenges cities face today. Cochran noted major challenges such as the Iraq War and its impact on the national government’s budget, climate change, traffic congestion, and street crime,

The Korea Local Government Center in New York City organized the visit to the Conference of Mayors. Director Park Dong Hoon and Assistant Director Yang Jihyung of the New York City office facilitated and participated in the visit to Washington.

The President of the National Association of Mayors Roh Jae Dong, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, headed the delegation. He was accompanied by two of his top officers, Kim Chongosik, Vice President of the National Association of Mayors and Magistrate of Wando-gun, the Province of Jeollanan-do, and Chung Hyun-ok, also Vice President and mayor of Dong-gu, Busan Metropolitan City.

Cochran’s counterpart, Kim Hankul, Secretary General of the National Association of Mayors (NAM), also took part in the delegation, also with Koo Jung Tae, consultant to the National Association of Mayors.

Other members of the delegation were Lee Eui Kyou, President of Daejeon Metropolitan City District Council Association of Chairmen, and Chairman of the Seo-Gu Council; Chung Dong-soo, President of the National Council Association of Chairmen, and Chairman of the Songpa-Gu Council; and Jang Jun-hyo, Secretary General of the World Walking Day Organizing Committee.

The Korea Local Government Center in New York City was established in 1995 by the Korea Local Authorities Foundation for International Relations (KLAFIR). It is one KLAFIR’s five offices abroad.

KLAFIR develops exchanges between Korean local government officials and their counterparts in other nations, including providing overseas training for local officials, governmental research, and outreach to associations of mayors and others abroad.