By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

Ambassadors from four Nordic countries visited Pohang City Hall on April 18 and discussed mutual cooperation in new industries with Pohang City Mayor Lee Kang-deok.

The ambassadors visited Pohang were those from Denmark, an offshore wind power powerhouse; Norway, the world's No. 1 electric vehicle penetration rate and the largest possessor of smart aquaculture technology; Sweden, Europe's largest battery manufacturer and clean power source; and Finland, which has become a key producer of the battery value chain. 

Their visit was organized at the suggestion of Danish Ambassador to Korea Svend Oling, who visited Pohang last December to discuss offshore wind and green hydrogen cooperation. 

The exchange program will start with the Nordic Talks Korea event with Postech and a meeting with the mayor of Pohang on April 18, followed by a tour of POSCO and the Korea Institute of Robotics and Convergence on April 19, and visits to industrial sectors of interest and key municipal sites, including the Pohang Space Walk.

The Nordic Embassy's flagship event, Nordic Talks Korea, which aims to start a Nordic-Korean dialogue on global issues and inspire citizens to take action for a more sustainable society, is now in its 13th year.

The event was held in Pohang, the first time it was held in a municipality, and the theme of the event was 'Green Transition and Social Acceptance', where the ambassadors spoke to members of Postech about the importance of education in driving the green transition through international cooperation, talent development and research.

Afterward, the ambassadors from the four countries visited Pohang City Hall and met with Mayor Lee Kang-deok at a sustainable communication event with local governments to discuss win-win cooperation between Korea and Northern Europe, focusing on new industries.

Mayor Lee explained the status of new growth industries such as batteries, hydrogen, and bio, which are being promoted in the region, and listened to the know-how of the Nordic countries, which are powerhouses with clean power sources and technologies necessary for industrial upgrading, on successful cases of green transformation toward carbon neutrality.

He also proposed various exchange measures to build an international cooperation network between Pohang and the Nordic countries, including adding a Nordic session to the International Conference on Leading Battery Cities, inviting the International Hydrogen Fuel Cell Forum, establishing a startup exchange and cooperation model in the bio sector, continuing to exchange technical information to create a smart farming cluster, and promoting international seminars and business delegation visits.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok said, "We look forward to active exchanges and cooperation in the field of new industries with the four Nordic countries, which are building industrial ecosystems similar to Pohang's," adding, "We will apply the Nordic success model to our city to create a sustainable foundation for new industries and secure competitiveness."