SUWON – Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a four-year action plan with Korean Gov. **** Yeon Kim of Gyeonggi Province. This action plan renews the historic sister state relationship between the two regions and concludes the Korea portion of the 2024 governor-led trade mission. The delegation will continue on to Japan for additional meetings with business and government stakeholders. 

“Utah and Gyeonggi have a relationship that dates back almost half a century,” Gov. Cox said. “With this shared history in mind, I am thrilled about our ambitious new action plan that will propel our partnership forward. While our regions may be very different in size, location and culture, what we share is a drive to innovate and a desire to work together in ways that will benefit both of our regions.”

Gyeonggi Province is the largest Korean province by population and considered to be a vital economic center for the country. With strong industry sectors in manufacturing and technology, Gyeonggi’s Pango Techno Valley has been referred to as the Silicon Valley of Korea due to its innovative startup community. 

Utah’s relationship with Gyeonggi is the province’s oldest sister state relationship and on Sep 30th’s signing ceremony marked its 41st anniversary. Utah and Gyeonggi’s targeted industries align in both advanced manufacturing and technology. Additionally, both regions have made significant investments in their respective startup ecosystems. Utah was named “Best State to Start a Business” by WalletHub in January 2024 and recently launched the Startup State Initiative, which includes a comprehensive website that guides founders through all stages of starting, growing and selling a business.  

A portion of the Utah trade delegation was welcomed in Suwon, the capital of the Gyeonggi Province, by its leadership, including Governor Kim, who previously served as Korea’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance. During the visit, the governors discussed strategies to enhance collaboration between the two regions, focusing on strengthening ties in business, education and culture. 

Gov. Kim stated that the action plan signed on Sep 30th, is an important step forward in the collaboration between the two regions. 

Read the full action plan here. For more information on the Startup State Initiative, see here.