Columbus Leaders establish cultural and economic partnership in Jinju, South Korea

Jinju, SOUTH KOREA (WRBL) — A high-profile Columbus delegation is in South Korea this week as the city officially entered into a sister city agreement with Jinju.

The partnership aims to strengthen cultural, educational and business ties between the two communities.

The delegation is led by Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson and Columbus State University President Dr. Stuart Rayfield.

Rayfield said the new relationship is rooted in building long-term connections.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Columbus mayor Skip Henderson visits South Korea with business and civic leaders

“One of the questions that we asked early on is what is the benefit of sending a delegation over here? And I think it’s all about relationships,” Rayfield said.

Both Columbus and Jinju share several similarities — each is a river city with a comparable population size and deep textile roots, with Jinju known for its silk and Columbus for its cotton.

Chris Woodruff, president of Cotton Companies, noted another unique connection between the two cities.

“Jinju is the birthplace of what’s called K-entrepreneurship, which is similar to the mentality of servant leadership,” Woodruff said. “Those are the same principles Columbus was founded on.”

Rayfield explained that K-entrepreneurship aligns with Columbus’ approach to leadership.

“It’s not just about startups or making money,” she said. “It’s about doing something for the common good — for your community and your nation.”

Woodruff said the people of Jinju have been especially welcoming.

“They’re kind, they’re good people,” he said. “It feels a lot like Columbus.”

Rayfield added that she hopes to see a Jinju delegation visit Columbus soon as both cities continue to build on their new partnership.

“These relationships aren’t built overnight,” she said. “This is an investment in developing connections that will have huge cultural, educational and economic benefits for our community.”

Currently, about 5% of Columbus State University’s faculty is South Korean. Rayfield said she hopes the new sister city agreement will help attract more South Korean students to CSU.

The Columbus delegation has participated in a number of events in Seoul and Jinju this week, including an international business conference on entrepreneurship.