Governors Association welcomes foreign government fellows for 2026 Korea Heart to Heart program
Published: 09 Apr. 2026, 16:36
Updated: 09 Apr. 2026, 17:22
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- LEE JIAN
- [email protected]
![Chief of local diplomacy at the Governors Association of the Republic of Korea Lee Jang-keun, center, and participants in the 2026 Korea Heart to Heart fellowship program take a picture after their welcoming ceremony at the President Hotel in Jung District, central Seoul, on April 9. [GAOK]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/09/e8ca17a0-6871-423e-876b-e7d08b0600eb.jpg)
Chief of local diplomacy at the Governors Association of the Republic of Korea Lee Jang-keun, center, and participants in the 2026 Korea Heart to Heart fellowship program take a picture after their welcoming ceremony at the President Hotel in Jung District, central Seoul, on April 9. [GAOK]
The Governors Association of the Republic of Korea (GAOK) on Thursday held a welcoming ceremony for the 2026 Korea Heart to Heart (K2H) fellowship program for foreign local government officials at the President Hotel in Jung District, central Seoul.
The event brought together 33 local government officials from eight countries and regions.
Now in its 27th year, the K2H program is a flagship international exchange initiative that has connected Korean local governments with overseas counterparts since its launch in 1999.
The program invites foreign officials to work within Korean local governments, offering firsthand experience of the country’s administrative system and culture. It has helped foster Korea-friendly professionals and build practical networks among local authorities.
This year’s participants come from countries including China, Japan, Germany, Indonesia, the Philippines and Zimbabwe. They will be dispatched to major local governments across the country — including Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Ulsan, Gangwon, North Gyeongsang, South Gyeongsang, South Chungcheong and South Jeolla — where they will work alongside local officials and gain hands-on administrative experience.
“It is an honor to directly learn about Korea’s advanced administration and culture,” a participant said. “I hope to go beyond applying what I learn here at home and instead serve as a bridge by developing cooperative projects between Korea and my country.”
Lee Jang-keun, chief of local diplomacy at GAOK and a former ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), welcomed the fellows at the ceremony.
“You are all invaluable ‘local ambassadors’ connecting the local governments of your respective countries,” he said. “I hope this fellowship will be a meaningful period in which each of you carries the pride and responsibility of serving as a key figure in diplomacy.”
BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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