The mayor of Lyon on Friday expressed his hope for his French city and the Korean business community to enhance their business and cultural ties based on their respective areas of strength.

“Lyon, which maintains its historical and cultural heritage, can be playing a key role in helping the Korean economy achieve innovation and success,” said Mayor of Lyon Gerald Collomb who concurrently holds the post of Senator.

He was speaking at a forum organized by the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a non-profit and non-governmental organization, here in Seoul. 

Collomb arrived in Korea this week, leading a delegation of 40 executives from major private companies including Philippe Grillot, president of CCI.

Lyon is currently building smart district areas across the city ― partnered with governments and foreign firms including Toshiba and the Japanese government’s department of New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization.

“Our city hopes to build a closer relationship with Korea and Korean business people,” he added.

In a related move, the Lyon city government and KT Corp., a major Korean mobile carrier, signed a letter of intent on cooperation in building a smart city.

“It is a great opportunity for us to reinforce our European presence by starting collaborations with metropolises. The one with Lyon is a starting point in terms of the firm’s strategy for smart cities,” said Bahk Jun-sick, the head of KT’s Global Business Unit.

Lyon, with a population of 720,000, is the second richest city in France and has UNESCO World Heritage Site Vieux Lyon.

Speaking at the forum, Korean Industry Ministry official Chun Yoon-jong said the current Korean government, which is the most open to free trade agreements with other nations in the world, is aiming to become a “linchpin” of the Asian economy instead of the economic “hub” of the region promoted by the former government.

The director of the foreign investment promotion team from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said discussions to make an FTA deal with China is underway following those with the European Union and the United States in 2010 and 2012 respectively.

He added that the Korean government will sign a free trade deal with the Japanese government in the coming years, too.

“The Korean government will not spare support for those who are willing to invest in Korea,” he said.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)