Chungcheongnam-do, which has fostered a 43-year friendship with Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan, has recently suffered major damage from a magnitude 7.1 earthquake, is extending warm sympathy and support in response to Kumamoto Prefecture's assistance during the 2008 Taean oil spill accident, drawing attention to a special bond that shines brighter in the face of disaster.
According to Chungcheongnam-do, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan on July 29, resulting in significant human and material damages. In response, Governor Park Su-hyun of Chungcheongnam-do expressed deep sorrow through his Facebook on the same day and promised support for Kumamoto Prefecture. Chungcheongnam-do plans to promote fundraising through the Chungcheongnam Community Chest of Korea to contribute to recovery efforts.
Chungcheongnam-do and Kumamoto Prefecture have established a sister city relationship on January 22, 1983, and have deepened their friendship through approximately 560 exchanges involving about 10,000 people over 43 years. In 2013, marking the 30th anniversary of the sister city relationship, and in 2023, marking the 40th anniversary, they have continued exchanges in a wide range of fields including education on Korea-Japan historical issues.
In particular, the two regions have strengthened their friendship by providing mutual support whenever disasters occurred. During the 2008 Taean oil spill accident under the tenure of Governor Lee Wan-gu of Chungcheongnam-do, Kumamoto Prefecture collected donations voluntarily from 2,292 civil servants totaling approximately 1.417 million yen (approximately 12.56 million won in Korean currency) and delivered them, sharing the pain. At that time, Kumamoto Prefecture's heartfelt assistance provided great comfort to Taean residents.
