RULES COMMITTEE: 3-23-16 ITEM: G. CITY OF SAN JOSE Memorandum CAPITAL OF SILICON VALLEY TO: RULES AND OPEN GOVERNMENT FROM[; Councilmember Ash Kalra COMMITTEE Councilmember Chappie Jones Councilmember Manh Nguyen SUBJECT: SEE BELOW DATE: 3/9/16 Approved y /fobi / ji \1 SUBJECT: INITIATION OF ESTABLISHING A SISTER CITY AFFILIATION WITH THE SUWON CITY, KOREA MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT RECOMMENDATION Direct the City Manager to initiate the evaluation process establishing a Sister City relationship with the Suwon City, South Korea Municipal Government. BACKGROUND The City of San Jose's participation in the Sister Cities program has been creating official, long- term relationships between San Jose and international cities as a way to foster peace and global understanding, as well as economic and educational growth. Successful sister city programs facilitate collaboration and exchanges in education, the arts, sports, civic affairs, economic development, and government. The cultural and historic city of Suwon, South Korea is the provincial capital and the largest metropolis of Gyeonggi-do province with a population of 1.25 million. Suwon is also the global headquarters of Samsung Corporation. As we all recall, Samsung Semiconductor Inc. recently showed their commitment to San Jose in September 2015 by building their 9.4-acre facility in North San Jose. With 700 employees, the company plans to eventually employ 2,000 workers as they strengthen their presence in the capital of Silicon Valley. We have the prime opportunity to build a relationship with a city that can share our interest of economic development, technology, cultural vibrancy and beyond. Suwon City and San Jose can both benefit from a Sister City affiliation and the relationship can add to our overall Sister City program. With this action, we ask the City Manager's office to begin the preliminary steps towards establishing an official Sister City relationship with Suwon, South Korea, by working with the official designee, Paul Lee from the Silicon Valley Korean American Committee, assigned by Suwon Mayor Yeom, Tae-young. Other interested community members are welcome to join in supporting this effort. , ms°I a&ftuo HUMAN CITY SUWON 15 Feb 2016 Hon, Mayor Sam Liccardo Office of Mayor Sam Liccardo 200 East Santa Clara Street 18th Floor San Jose, CA95113 Dear Mayor Sam Liccardo, I wish you a very happy New Year, continued success in all your endeavors, and prosperity of your great city, San Josd, 1 have sought to develop a long-term partnership with your city, I had the pleasure of meeting with Mr. Chuck Reed, former Mayor of San Jose, and then council members during my visit- to San Josd in June 2012, I still recall their sincere and warm hospitality and friendly spirit that I and my delegation were shown by your citizens on that trip. Actually, my visit to San Josd in 2012 was to return the favor for Mr*, Pete Constant, former councilman who was willing to accept our invitation to the annual Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival in 2011, In 2013 Ms. Madison Nguyen, former Vice Mayor of San Jose, attended out- annual festival and met with me at my office to discuss ways to continue the cultural and economic partnership between our two cities. That same year, Suwon's export promotion group also visited San Josd to hold an export consultation session with a view to matching the SUWON CITY 241 Hy'owciit-ro, Paltkrt-gu, Suwon. Koiwj Tsl.32~::i1~228-3i0'l feirtSi -.KMlDS y HUMAN CITY needs of potential partners in San Jose with products and services that Suwon-based companies oiler, Suwon city officials visited San Jose city hall to learn best practices for big data management in 2014. It Is definitely not a one-time partnership. The cultural and historic city of Suwon is the seat of Hwaseong fortress, a UNESCO world heritage, and the global headquarters of Samsung Corporation. Suwon is the provincial capital and largest metropolis of Oyeonggi-do province with population of 1.25 million. Given that San Jose is the capital of Silicon Valley and Suwon is the home of a number of cutting edge IT incubators, I am convinced that farming sister relations between our two cities will generate strong synergy and bring about a win-win future, not only for our two cities but also for our two countries, I hereby express our desire to form a sister relationship with San Jose, and inform you that Mr. Paul Lee who is native to Suwon will assist Suwon in pursuing a sister relationship with San Jose in the coming days. I look forward to the prospect of formally creating a sister city relationship with San Jose and ask for your interest in and support for the possibility of this potential sister city relationship, Sincerely yours, Yeom, Tae-young Mayor of Suwon City Republic of Korea IX, Other Info jt SILICONm VALLEY KOREAN AMERICAN SUWON CITY COMMITTEE PAUL LEE Chairman www.SVKAC.org (831) 905-1512 • PCLeeS 15 @gmail. com t-i 2904 El Camino Real, Santa Clara CA 95051 JL <^y> SILICON VALLEY A| KOREAN AMERICAN SUWON CITY COMMITTEE IRENE SUH 1§pjPPP»j« «JS Co-CJiairmaii H www.SVKAC.org (408) 781-8431 [email protected] 2904 El Camino Real, Santa Clara CA 95051 • 41- _ I1L:. 1 iaam\/ai T I->VA ^©r | V ^ ~ * SILICON VALLEY A KOREAN AMERICAN 4>S I ggM SUWON CITY iMBIM COMMITTEE wr JOHN CHUNG Co-Chairman • www.SVKAC.org pus (408) 888-4958 [email protected] 2904 El Camino Real, Santa Clam CA 95051 .