French-Korean Sister Cities: An Unknown Factor of Soft Power
- Jiseon Lee
- Mar 27
- 23 min read
The flourishing French-Korean decentralized cooperation has resulted in meaningful – although overlooked – policy initiatives that have been crucial to build a cross-understanding between Korea and France, develop Korean soft power in France, and promote French culture in Korea for the last 40 years.
This series is the first available assessment of sister cities policies between France and Korea. It seeks to offer an overview of sister cities’ initiatives to demonstrate the potential, feasibility, areas of improvement, and benefits of cooperation for both sides.
The brief will firstly present a short chronology of partnerships, followed by a general analysis of the stakeholders involved in the French-Korean decentralized cooperation. It will then provide an overview of the activities implemented by partner cities and the current challenges French-Korean twinnings are facing.
Introduction
Since local authorities are – by essence – close to citizens, decentralized cooperation is an excellent means to reach the latter and to familiarize them with the habits and customs of the partner country through concrete and impactful initiatives. Cooperation is therefore an ideal lever of soft power and friendship – at both the national and local levels – and has proved its value at several occasions. Partnerships help to shape a positive image of both countries, make diplomatic links stronger and increase potential opportunities for economic, scientific and cultural exchanges.
French-Korean relations at the national and local levels
At the national level, the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and Korea dates back to 1886. Nowadays, their relationship is considered excellent and revolves around a wide range of policy priorities at the national and European levels: mutual economic relations, foreign relations, diplomacy, security, defense, education, culture, among others.
The friendship between France and Korea climaxed in 2016 with the France-Korea Year: for the first time, 400 events took place simultaneously in France and South Korea, amongst which were organized a French cinema tour (10 films screened in preview in seven cities in Korea), a Tour de France stage in Korea, the launch of a France Alumni-Korea network, etc. In total, nearly 5 million Koreans participated in events during the Year of France in South Korea [1].
French-Korean decentralized cooperation – i.e. cooperation between local authorities, such as cities, provinces and regions – is more recent than diplomatic relations at the national level. It is, however, deemed paramount for people-to-people exchanges and for addressing local public policy issues. At the city level, decentralized cooperation takes the form of twinnings, also known as sister city agreements. These joint initiatives bring together cities with similar urban makeup or density, creating opportunities to address shared challenges and leverage each city’s strengths. These collaborations also allow towns to draw on complementary expertise in diverse fields, such as sustainability, cultural exchange, education, and urban planning, fostering mutual learning and collective growth.
Originally, sister city initiatives were launched between Germany and France after World War II, to prevent the return of war and promote friendship, peace, and cooperation. They gradually expanded to include other European cities. Sister city relationships are now aimed at developing cultural exchanges and diplomatic understanding. They provide both residents and local government representatives with opportunities to engage with different cultures, share knowledge and good practices, in order to bring closer communities and economic actors. As per Korean cities, the combined forces of metropolization and democratization in the 1980s turned them into centers of urban governance and social cohesion. This societal evolution spurred Korean cities to establish transnational partnerships with Europe and join networks of cities diplomacy, such as United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) in the same years.
As pointed out by the French Ambassador to Korea H.E. Philippe BERTOUX, “the role of local authorities in strengthening bilateral exchanges has been recalled multiple times at the highest level[2]”. Thus, the French-Korean Global Partnership for the 21st century sets local exchanges as a priority for the development of bilateral relations. To date, almost 30 partnerships have been signed between French and Korean local authorities [3].
A chronology of French-Korean partnerships between local authorities
The first twinning between French and Korean cities took place in 1986-1987 between Sanary-sur-Mer and Hongcheon to celebrate the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Korea. This initial step was soon followed by others, namely the twinning between Versailles and Gyeongju in 1987, and a partnership between Paris and Seoul in 1991[4].
Partnerships have gradually expanded to regions, demonstrating a will to deepen bilateral ties on a larger scale. Cooperation between the Alsace region[5] and the Gyeongsangbuk-do province in 1999 paved the way for closer regional collaboration. Smaller French cities have also expanded the scope of exchanges, e.g. the twinnings between Issy-les-Moulineaux and the Guro district in Seoul in 2005-2006, Saint-Mandé and Seoul in 2006, Nantes and Suncheon in 2009 or between Limoges and Icheon in 2015.
Since 2010, partnerships have developed at a faster pace, featuring a broader geographical scope and an emphasis on major metropolitan areas. The establishment of new partnerships between cities (Paris 15th and Seocho in 2015, Nice and Daejeon in 2016) and between regions (Île-de-France region and Gyeonggi-do province in 2016, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and Daegu Free Economic Zone in 2018) have deepened the bilateral relations at the local and regional levels.
From 2019, cooperation activities benefited from a new impetus. In 2019 alone, three new agreements were signed: one between Montpellier Métropole and Daegu, one between Lille Métropole and Hwaseong, and another between Tours and Suwon. In 2020, Angoulême also established a partnership with Bucheon. In 2021-2022, several Parisian districts (13th, 17th, 18th) started new partnerships with Seoul districts (respectively, Seodaemun-gu, Yangcheon-gu, Jung-gu). Busan and Cannes signed one of the latest partnerships to date, a cooperation agreement on movie and audiovisual industries in 2023.
Cooperation has recently extended to industrial and research ecosystems: the partnership between Grenoble Alpes Métropole and Gumi in 2023 highlights the international role of local governments in innovation, research, and competitiveness. Another partnership was signed in March 2024 between Paris Est Marne & Bois – which includes 13 municipalities in Val-de-Marne – and the Seoul Digital Foundation, aiming to experiment with smart city solutions and ecological transition.
The number of decentralized cooperation partnerships between French and Korean local authorities multiplied by four between 1980 and 2020, with a massive increase since 2015. For instance, 7 new partnerships were inaugurated from 2021 to early 2024.
This trend demonstrates the ever-growing and mutual appeal for French-Korean exchanges at the local level. Its steady increase so far suggests the trend is going to continue in the near future, strengthening decentralized cooperation as a significant factor of soft power between France and South Korea.
Part 1 - Stakeholders of the French-Korean decentralized cooperation: a multi-level coordination
Decisions on international partnerships often originate from and are implemented by a variety of political, cultural, scientific and economic local actors, whose commitment is crucial to the long-term success of the projects.
“Experience has taught us that the most successful projects over the long term are those led by one, or more, highly committed local actors, who are able to generate a sustainable flow of cooperation and act as a driving force that can carry other players along in its wake. Depending on the case, this may be a political, cultural, scientific or economic actor”[6]
H.E. Philippe BERTOUX, Ambassador of France to Korea
These actors work in close coordination with different institutions specialized in decentralized cooperation, that shall be introduced thereafter.
National embassies: “A facilitating role” (H.E. Philippe BERTOUX)
“Partners of the 21st century, bound by universal values such as freedom and democracy, we are constantly enriching exchanges between Korea and France in various fields such as politics, economics, culture, science and education”[7]
H.E. CHOI Jai-Chul, Ambassador of Korea to France
The role of the French Embassy in Korea and the Korean Embassy in France is to provide ad hoc support to local authorities, facilitate networking, identify key players, share information and organize cross-visits for delegations. Regarding twinnings, “the French Embassy essentially plays a facilitating role: it helps French and Korean local authorities to establish initial contact with the local authority they wish to work with; it sheds light on the context of Franco-Korean decentralized cooperation; it can also help them to identify potential partners”, explains Philippe BERTOUX.
Embassy departments involved in twinnings include the Political Chancery, the Cultural Action and Cooperation and the Economic Service, as well as Business France and Atout France, two French public institutions that support the development of foreign investments and tourism in France.
The France-Korea friendship group of the French Senate: “Making parliamentary diplomacy a reality” (Senator Catherine DUMAS)
The role of the France-Korea parliamentary friendship group is to facilitate exchanges between parliamentarians from both countries to foster better mutual understanding and to strengthen bilateral relations. The friendship group organizes meetings with various representatives, including the Korean Ambassador to France, national and local elected officials, civil society leaders, business leaders, artists and scientists. For decentralized cooperation, the friendship group is also a means to initiate partnerships – such as the one between Paris 17th district and Yangcheon-gu, facilitated by Senator Catherine DUMAS.
“The French Senate represents local authorities, so the Friendship Group is the ideal vehicle for proposing and promoting projects of this kind. Our role is interdependent with that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cités Unies France”[9]
Catherine DUMAS, President of the France-Korea Parliamentary friendship group since 2017
The Governors Association of Korea (GAROK): "A marriage broker" (KIM Hyoung-Jin)
The GAROK is an association established in 1999 that brings together 17 metropolitan and provincial governments from South Korea to support their interests. Its mission is to promote bilateral dialogue and to inform the Korean government about decentralized cooperation. It runs several programs to promote decentralization and offers support to local authorities seeking twinning arrangements to link up with foreign communities. The GAROK is headquartered in Seoul, but has 6 offices abroad, including one in Paris that is integrated into the Korean Embassy.
“Do you know about marriage agencies in Korea? Because cooperation between local authorities is also very similar, in the spirit. In France, there’s a pact: if you’re dating, you’re considered a couple. But in Korea, there’s no such thing. In Korea, the marriage agency makes the first meeting. These first meetings are a preparation for marriage”[10]
KIM Hyoung-jin, Head Manager of the GAROK in France
The French Delegation for Local Authorities and Civil Society (DCTCIV): A national support for decentralized cooperation
In conjunction with Embassies, the DCTCIV delegation of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs provides information and advisory services to local authorities and civil society organizations involved in external action. It ensures that actions they carry out are consistent with France’s foreign policy. It also contributes to the drafting of legal texts relating to cooperation and subsidizes local authority projects through yearly calls designed to finance decentralized cooperation initiatives on a geographical and thematic basis.
Cités Unies France: Federating local authorities involved in international cooperation
Founded in 1975, Cités Unies France supports local authorities in their international initiatives to enhance their economic and cultural influence outside Europe. It offers a platform for advocacy services for local governments and also fosters the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals at the local and regional levels, mobilizing local action to help countries fully implement Agenda 2030. Cités Unies currently has 300 members. The organization federates most regions and a quarter of French départements, as well as many large cities and smaller towns.
Cités Unies organizes forums, meetings, country group activities, decentralized cooperation days, and contacts between experts in various fields of cooperation. It works conjointly with the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Commission and other professionals of international action. The Association des Maires de France (Association of French Mayors), the Assemblée des Départements de France (Assembly of French Departments) and Régions de France (Regions of France, the association of French regions) are members of the Executive Board, and each member is ipso facto a member of UCLG.
Cités Unies’ Korea country-group was launched in 2016, against the backdrop of the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Korea[11], an additional step towards cooperation between the two countries.
"The France-South Korea Cross-Year in 2015-2016 and the launch in 2016 of the France-South Korea country-group within Cités Unies France gave an additional boost to French-Korean decentralized cooperation. The momentum continued until the Covid-19 pandemic, and despite it, Korea managed to limit the impact of the pandemic on its economic activity, with no lockdown during the period”[12]
H.E. Philippe BERTOUX, Ambassador of France to Korea
Cités Unies also organized the first French-Korean forum in June 2023 in France, on the theme of “Innovation and attractiveness of the territory”, that prompted exchanges of best practices between French and Korean officials. In September 2024, the second edition of the Franco-Korean Forum, organized by Cités Unies, will be held under the theme "Innovation and Regional Attractiveness: Exchanges for a Dynamic Franco-Korean Partnership (TGV-FC)." The forum aims to strengthen decentralized cooperation between France and Korea and to intensify exchanges between officials from both countries.
Part 2 - French-Korean decentralized cooperation activities: their diversity and challenges
The variety and assets of French-Korean decentralized cooperation
The French-Korean decentralized cooperation revolves around a wide variety of domains, demonstrating the richness of its potential. These initiatives complement well cooperation programs undertaken at the national level by focusing more directly on specific aspects of culture, local issues, or by facilitating personal exchanges between officials and inhabitants of the partnered local authorities[13].
Culture is undoubtedly the main field of cooperation: almost every French-Korean partnership has a cultural dimension. Indeed, it is perceived by local authorities as the simplest and most attractive way to boost mutual knowledge and their citizens’ understanding by providing enriching experiences on both sides, given the growing visibility of Korean culture in France and the well-established reputation of French culture in South Korea.
Culture is often promoted in several ways, such as gastronomy, language courses, and art in the broad sense. In fact, the sister cities’ model is particularly adequate for mutual cultural discoveries, since it facilitates the organization of multiple events over an extended period. Thus, it contributes to strengthening the sense of closeness between French and Korean officials and citizens. For instance, during the 2023 edition of the Tours fair, the French city of Tours showcased a great variety of dancers, musicians, and visual artists from Suwon, its Korean counterpart. In addition, the first edition of a “Korean Tours Festival” is about to be launched in February 2025. Every other year, the city of Issy-les-Moulineaux also organizes a Korean culture week while its partner, the district of Guro in Seoul, reciprocates with a French festival. Besides, Issy-les-Moulineaux regularly organizes Korea-themed cultural workshops – cooking, calligraphy, fitting of Korean traditional outfits, among others – for its residents. Likewise, cultural ties have been a focal point of the partnership established in 2021 between Paris 17th district and the Seoul district of Yangcheon. While the Korean community in Paris 17th district is relatively small, there are many restaurateurs and former expatriates with professional ties to Korea who create opportunities to celebrate Korean culture, such as the Korean Cuisine Festival. In Seoul, Yangcheon hosted a French Culture Festival at Paris Park in October 2024. The event featured six thematic areas, including performances, a taste market, wine and culinary experiences blending French and Korean cuisines.
Other partnerships are focused on a very specific aspect of each country’s culture. The collaboration between Angoulême and Bucheon is an excellent example: the partnership was set up around the international comic festivals that are organized each year by both cities. Before the formal cooperation in 2020, the cities were already influenced by each other: the mayor of Angoulême visited the Bucheon festival back in 2013 and the Bucheon festival was explicitly modeled on the Angoulême one.
Similarly, Limoges and Icheon have built their partnership upon their common expertise in ceramics - the actions undertaken as part of their twinning mainly relates to this field, e.g. exhibitions highlighting artists from both cities, events promoting meetings between them.
The newly established collaboration between Cannes and Busan is also part of this category, the two municipalities being world famous for their international film festivals.
Even within the Tours/Suwon partnership – originally not designed around a specific cultural dimension –, both cities have taken advantage of the presence of contemporary art centers in their respective areas to initiate a partnership between them, resulting in an Olivier Debré exhibition in Suwon in the summer 2024.
Youth is another essential dimension, as young people are often keen to discover new horizons, engage with different people, and are the main driving force of the Korean Wave (hallyu) abroad. Therefore, they can serve as the basis for strong and dynamic local partnerships lasting over time that could lead to a widening of the cooperation. Thus, many partnerships – Tours/Suwon, Issy-les-Moulineaux/Guro district, Enghien-les-Bains/Gwangju, among others – enable young inhabitants to immerse themselves for a few days or weeks in the daily life of other young people in their partner city through exchange visits. Some cities have also scaled up cooperation at the academic level. For example, Paris 15th district has launched a scholarship program enabling Korean students from its counterpart – the Seocho district in Seoul – to study at one of its higher education institutions.
Similarly, Paris 17th district has expressed an interest in fostering educational and cultural exchanges through a partnership between a Parisian school and one in Yangcheon, with an emphasis on advancing French language education.
Feedback on 12 Issy-les-Moulineaux youngsters’ trip to the Seoul district of Guro in 2023
ⓒVideo by the city of Issy-les-Moulineaux
In addition, several cooperation initiatives have stemmed from a common or similar historical background. It is the case of the very first Franco-Korean twinning between Sanary-sur-Mer and Hongcheon, that is a tribute to Jules Jean-Louis, a French doctor from Sanary-sur-Mer who perished while volunteering in the Korean War. A statue was built in Hongcheon to honor his memory, and the twinning aims to make it last.
In the same vein, the Normandy Region and the metropolitan city of Incheon have in common the experience of famous landing operations - respectively during the Second World War in 1944[14] and during the Korean War in 1950[15]. This shared experience was the main drive for initiating the partnership between the Caen Memorial and the Incheon Landing Memorial in 2017. Incheon also expressed its willingness to cooperate with Caen to organize ceremonies commemorating the landing of Incheon, similar to those held for the Normandy landings. Another example of this kind of cooperation is the between Versailles and Gyeongju, which are both former strongholds of French and Korean royalties.
Urban issues, the green transition, and sustainable development have also been key areas of interest for several partnerships, aiming to leverage cities’ innovative and complementary approaches to sustainability and urban adaptability. For instance, Paris 17th district has facilitated connections between Yangcheon and the Greater Paris Metropolis, as well as SYCTOM – the waste management agency for the Paris metropolitan area – to explore opportunities for a partnership with Korea, and organized Yangcheon’s delegation visit to the Clichy-Batignolles eco-district, which garnered significant interest on the Korean side. Mayor Geoffroy BOULARD emphasized broader ambitions for the partnership, stating, “We would really like to work on issues related to the adaptability of cities to the changes of tomorrow, to the future, to climate change and also to demographic shifts in dense cities.”[16]
On its side, the city of Issy-les-Moulineaux has also hosted several Korean delegations to showcase its sustainable development-related initiatives, particularly its implementation of a “climate budget” – which has consistently attracted the attention of Korean officials. A further example might be found in Tours, where on-site visits have shown a genuine interest of Suwon officials in Tours’ schoolyard greening plan and cycling facilities.
The business dimension of French-Korean decentralized cooperation is also gaining strength at the local and regional levels. The most significant example is the upcoming partnership between the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes French region and the Korean province of Gyeongsangbuk-do. They have already developed strong informal relations driven by corporate initiatives in their respective territories, and their cooperation is expected to intensify, in the fields of digital technology, robotics, computing, industry of the future and health. This kind of partnership is but an illustration of how international relations of local authorities can play a concrete and coordination role to support their stakeholders.
Finally, administrative cooperation is a dimension less visible to the general public but of significant importance from the local authorities’ standpoint. E-administration, urban and ecological planning, water and waste management, and elderly care, are some of the themes on which French and Korean local authorities are actively learning from one another – sometimes through exchanges of officials. For instance, the beginning of the Issy-les-Moulineaux/Guro district twinning was marked by a strong interest from Guro officials towards initiatives taken in Issy in relation to early childhood. This interest has led them the import the idea of a toy library[17] in their own city. Likewise, Issy has taken Guro’s broadband infrastructure as an example to set up its own. Such exchanges of best practices are precious for local authorities, as they can benefit from innovative solutions designed halfway around the world and suited for their specific needs at the local level.
Remaining challenges for the French-Korean decentralized cooperation
Despite their successes, international partnerships between French and Korean cities still face several major challenges that need to be tackled.
Firstly, there are “dormant partnerships”. This expression refers to some agreements that are signed but with few initiatives subsequently implemented. Signing a partnership to sign a partnership has neither outcome or output: for a partnership to work, a shared goal should be put forward. There might be an issue with unclear objectives or different expectations for these dormant partnerships. As KIM Hyoung-jin points out: “There are around 22 signatures that have been officialized to date. There are some very active examples, but also some dormant cooperations. (...) Among the 22, there are less than 10 agreements that are very active and dynamic. And more than half are a bit dormant”[18]. This is particularly the case for the oldest partnerships, and those formed based on military exploits. KIM Hyoung-jin continues, “after the signing of the memorandum of cooperation between Gyeongju and Versailles, there are few people from Versailles and Gyeongju who still remember the agreement”[19].
At the same time, dormant partnerships are sometimes revitalized by a one-off event that demonstrates a lasting para-diplomatic solidarity between the cities. “During the coronavirus pandemic crisis three years ago, the city of Hongcheon, the twin city of Sanary-sur-Mer, sent 40,000 masks for the inhabitants […] So, even if this is a dormant partnership, there are actions that can arise at any time if there are opportunities to do so”[20], KIM Hyoung-jin continues.
Furthermore, the budget and financing of international para-diplomacy led by French local authorities is unstable, as it remains a non-compulsory public policy left to the discretion of local authorities.[21]
In France, public spending tends to be concentrated on other budgetary items, which limits the resources available for international partnerships. Additionally, local authorities’ spending is constantly on the rise, due to new responsibilities and staff transfers from the state.[22] Similarly, the recent reduction in France’s Official Development Assistance’s (ODA) spending affects resources allocated to international partnerships.[23]
On the contrary, South Korea has growing ambitions to become a “global pivotal state” and seeks to increase its ODA volume to contribute more actively to the international community’s effort and become a leader on global challenges (climate crisis, energy, and Sustainable Development Goals).[24] This dynamic helps to explain why French civil servants undertake fewer missions to Korea, compared with their Korean counterparts visiting France, thereby limiting opportunities for exchange and collaboration.
However, these deficits have been partly offset by the virtual organization of French-Korean seminars “to bring together and enhance the administrative practices of each participant, each participating local authority,”[25], according to KIM Hyoung-jin. HONG Joon-ho, Director general of the GAROK office in Paris, also refers to the avant-garde role of local authorities in the face of conflicts and tensions with governments: “We act as a bond. Even if it’s not easy for the government to do things, the community can be more flexible in linking two countries”[26], stresses KIM Hyoung-jin.
Another difficulty stems from cultural differences in governance and administrative practices. "Korean local authorities are highly efficient, and decentralized cooperation is no exception to the reign of ‘Pali Pali’ (in French: ‘vite, vite!’, in English: ‘quick, quick’), that is typical of management and decision-making in South Korea. The difference in pace between French and Korean decision-making processes can sometimes be disconcerting... in Korea as in France”[27], points out the French Ambassador to Korea. Sometimes, when two local authorities sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU), its interpretation is different in France and in South Korea. For example, the city of Gyeongju considers Versailles to be a twinned city, whereas Versailles considered the MoU to express a mere “intention to cooperate”. Additionally, terminology is not identical between the two countries, which can lead to confusion over the meaning of “sister cities”, “twinning”, and “pact of friendship and cooperation”.
“In Korea, you marry first and make babies later. That’s the Asian custom. But in France, we often get married after the children are born. Here, we're friends and we live together. If we file a declaration, we're considered a legitimate couple. Cooperation between cities follow the same pattern””[28], points out Mr. KIM. These cultural differences undoubtedly influence and shape exchanges between local authorities, as highlighted by Mr. KIM: “Even if Koreans like to do something official first, the current trend is to become more and more pragmatic. So, we do an occasional thematic exchange, first we do that, and then we see if we continue or not”.[29]
Finally, public opinion of international cooperation is sometimes mixed. Some citizens are enthusiastic, but there is also criticism of the effectiveness and relevance of these partnerships. It has to be said, however, that French-Korean events often benefit from great success, as illustrated by the record attendance at the Foire de Tours during its edition dedicated to Korea. As the GAROK sums up, “enthusiasm is there”.[30]
The 140th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between France and Korea in 2026 could be another opportunity to strengthen this fervor and to give a new impetus to French-Korean decentralized cooperation.
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The authors of this article and KEY reiterate their warmest thanks to H.E. Philippe BERTOUX (Ambassador of France to Korea), to Mrs. Senator Catherine DUMAS (President of the France-Korea parliamentary friendship group in the French Senate), to Messrs. HONG Joon-ho (Director General of the GAROK) and KIM Hyoung-jin (Head Manager of the GAROK in France) for their time and highly valuable contributions.
Many thanks also to Mr. Geoffroy BOULARD (City of Paris, 17th district), Mrs. Isabel CORDEIRO and Mr. Eric LEGALE (City of Issy-les-Moulineaux), Mrs. Lucyna GRAVIÈRE (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region) and Ms. Elise PEREIRA NUNES (City of Tours), for their time and willingness to introduce us to their respective local initiatives promoting French-Korean decentralized cooperation.
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Footnotes
[1] Ambassade de France en République de Corée, "l'année france-corée 2015-2016," https://kr.ambafrance.org/L-Annee-France-Coree-2015-2016
[2] Original version in French: “Le rôle des collectivités territoriales dans le renforcement des échanges bilatéraux a été rappelé à plusieurs reprises au plus haut niveau”.
[3] It is worth noting, however, that South Korea’s main twinning partners are not French nor European. Initially focused on the United States and Japan, partnerships have expanded significantly to include China and are increasingly reaching emerging markets such as Vietnam and the Philippines. However, among Korea’s European partners, France holds a significant place: Korean local authorities’ have concluded almost 10 times more partnerships with French than with German partners. For their part, French local authorities have concluded more partnerships with cities or regions located in East Asian countries that have been France’s diplomatic partners for a longer time - such as Japan (around 53 friendship pacts signed in total) and China (around 50 in total) - than with Korea. Nevertheless, thanks to a common willingness to tighten French-Korean ties at the local level, this gap is shrinking.
[4] Paris has an exclusive partnership with the city of Rome but has signed numerous cooperation and friendship pacts with other cities around the world. Paris.fr, “Paris is only twinned with one city, Rome,” July 27, 2022. https://www.paris.fr/pages/paris-n-est-jumelee-qu-avec-une-seule-ville-rome-7485#en-quoi-ce-jumelage-est-il-original
[5] The Alsace region became part of the larger Grand-Est region in 2016.
[6] Original version in French: “L’expérience nous enseigne que les projets qui réussissent le mieux dans la durée sont ceux portés par un ou plusieurs acteurs locaux fortement investis, à même de susciter un flux pérenne de coopérations et constituer une force de traction susceptible d’emporter d’autres acteurs dans son sillage”.
[7] SEM Jai Chul Choi, “Forum franco-coréen 2023: SEM Jai Chul Choi, Ambassadeur de la République de Corée en France,” Cités Unies France, YouTube, August 31, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYVmPwdud_g
[8] Original version in French: “L’Ambassade de France joue essentiellement un rôle de facilitateur : elle aide les collectivités françaises ou coréennes à nouer un premier contact avec la collectivité dont elles souhaitent se rapprocher ; elle leur apporte des éclairages sur le contexte dans lequel s’inscrit la coopération décentralisée franco-coréenne ; elle peut également les accompagner dans l’identification de partenaires potentiels”.
[9] Original version in French: “Le Sénat français représente les collectivités territoriales, le groupe d’amitié est donc le convoi de transmission par excellence pour proposer et promouvoir des projets de ce type. Notre rôle est interdépendant des autres démarches effectuées par le Ministère des Affaires étrangères, ou encore par Cités Unies France”.
[10] Original version in French: “Est-ce que vous connaissez les agences matrimoniales en Corée ? Parce que la coopération entre les collectivités, ça aussi, ça ressemble beaucoup à la mentalité. En France, il y a un pacte, si vous êtes ensemble, c’est considéré comme un couple. Mais en Corée ça n’existe pas. En Corée, l’agence matrimoniale fait la première rencontre. Ces premières rencontres, c’est en prévision de se marier”.
[11] An organization heading a transpartisan and multilevel network of French local governments. See Part 1 of this article for further information.
[12] Original version in French: “Les années croisées France-Corée du Sud en 2015-2016 et le lancement en 2016 du groupe pays France-Corée au sein de CUF ont donné un coup de fouet à la coopération décentralisée franco-coréenne. La dynamique s’est maintenue jusqu’à la pandémie de Covid-19, et malgré celle-ci, la Corée a su limiter les impacts de la pandémie sur son activité économique, le pays n’ayant connu aucun confinement durant la période”.
[13] Only the major cooperation areas will be mentioned thereafter.
[14] The Normandy landings, orchestrated and conducted by the Allies during the Second World War, were the largest landing operations having ever been led. On June 6th, 1944, several thousands of airborne and ground troops landed in Normandy – most famously on 5 Norman beaches – and began the process of liberation of France from the German occupation.
[15] The Incheon landing is one of the most famous battles of the Korean War and a critical step towards the recapture of Seoul – which had been captured by the North Korean Army – by South Korea and the United Nations Command.
[16] Original version in French: “On espère vraiment pouvoir travailler sur les questions d’adaptabilité de la ville aux changements de demain, à l’avenir, aux changements climatiques ou aux évolutions démographiques aussi pour les villes denses“.
[17] In French, “ludothèque”.
[18] Original version in French: “Il y a 22 conventions officielles. Parmi les 22, il y a, je dirais, moins de dix conventions qui sont très actives et dynamiques. Et plus de la moitié qui sont un peu endormies”.
[19] Original version in French: “Après la signature de mémorandum de coopération entre Gyeongju et Versailles, il y a peu de gens de Versailles et Gyeongju qui se souviennent encore de cette convention”.
[20] Original version in French: “Lors de la crise de la pandémie de coronavirus, il y a trois ans, la ville de Hongcheon, la ville jumelle de Sanary-sur-Mer, a envoyé 40 000 masques […]. Donc, même si s'est endormi, il y a des actions qui peuvent surgir à n'importe quel moment s'il y a des occasions”.
[21] Cités Unies, “International action accounts for less than 0.1% of total expenditure by communes, départements and local authorities”, “Pourquoi s’engager ?” https://cites-unies-france.org/-Pourquoi-s-engager-
[22] “Local authority spending has risen from 370 billion francs in 1982 (or 56.4 billion euros - €bn) to 196.1 billion euros in 2015 (€229bn), with increased operating and capital expenditure.” Vie publique, “Comment les dépenses des collectivités territoriales sont réparties ?” Finances publiques, April 16, 2018. https://www.vie-publique.fr/fiches/21935-comment-les-depenses-des-collectivites-territoriales-sont-reparties
[23] A cut of 742 million in February 2024 in the international solidarity budget has been announced by the Minister of Economy and Finance, Bruno Le Maire.
[24] OECD, “Development Cooperation Profile – Korea,” 2023. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/d919ff1a-en/index.html?itemId=/content/component/d919ff1a-en .
[25] Original version in French: “Pour réunir et valoriser les pratiques administratives de chaque participant, chaque collectivité participante”.
[26] Original version in French: “M. Hong a évoqué que quand il y a des conflits ou tensions entre les États, les collectivités territoriales jouent le rôle avant-gardiste. On fait la liaison. Même si pour le gouvernement, ce n’est pas facile de faire des choses, la collectivité peut être plus souple pour lier deux pays”.
[27] Original version in French: “Les collectivités coréennes sont marquées par une grande efficacité et la coopération décentralisée ne fait pas exception au règne du ‘Pali Pali’ (en français : ‘vite, vite !’), caractéristique du management et de la prise de décision en Corée du Sud. La différence de rythme entre les processus décisionnels français et coréen peut parfois déconcerter… en Corée comme en France !”.
[28] Original version in French: “On se marie d’abord et on fait les bébés après. C’est la coutume asiatique. Mais en France, on se marie après la naissance des enfants, ça arrive souvent. Ici, on est amis et on vit ensemble. On considère, si on fait la déclaration, qu’on est un couple légitime. Mais là, la coopération des villes aussi c’est le même aspect”.
[29] Original version in French: “Même si les Coréens aiment faire quelque chose d’officiel d'abord, et puis après le concret va suivre après, mais la tendance actuelle, on devient de plus en plus pragmatique. Donc, on fait des échanges thématiques ponctuels, d’abord on fait ça et puis on voit si on continue ou pas”.
[30] Original version in French: “L'enthousiasme est là”.
About the Authors
Flavie Chalumeau Boisgibault
Laure Gillot-Assayag
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