The first Mayors' Forum of the 12th biennial World Cities Summit Mayors Forum took place on Monday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in eastern Seoul.
"I am pleased to discuss sustainable and inclusive cities in Seoul, where 'accompanying the weak' is a core value," said Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon while delivering his welcoming remarks at the forum on Monday.
Oh also shared the city government's policy achievements with "Seoul Learn," an online learning platform for low-income families, and "Seoul Safety Income," which provides some financial support to households earning below 85 percent of the standard median income. Oh also emphasized that "accompanying the weak" should be part of a global agenda for all cities to consider.
"I hope that this year's Mayors Forum can bring together the hearts of the world to help develop sustainable and inclusive cities for the future," said Oh.
The World Cities Summit Mayors Forum provides city representatives with a platform to exchange their policies and field experiences, as well as to collectively explore pathways toward fostering inclusive cities. Mayors from 50 different cities, including Dublin, Ireland; Odense, Denmark; and Wellington, New Zealand as well as representatives from 22 international governmental organizations and private overseas companies, like the United Nations Development Program and Amazon Web Services, are in attendance.
Only cities that have won the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize are given hosting rights to the forum, and Seoul, which won the award in 2018, is hosting the forum for the first time this year under the theme: "Liveable and Sustainable Cities: Forging an Inclusive and Resilient Future."
Seoul Metropolitan Government will also sign a new Friendship City Agreement with Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv at the forum, which is expected to expand international cooperation between the two cities. Seoul will also hold bilateral talks with nine other cities, including Dublin and Ho Chi Minh City, during the forum.
