Seoul will welcome young people from China and other countries involved in start-up entrepreneurship in a bid to promote their success in the international market following Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's recent trip to South Korea, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said late Wednesday.
"The Seoul government hasn't made many specific supportive policies to offer assistance for entrepreneurship development, especially for the younger generation, but we are working on that," Park told the Global Times during his fifth visit to Beijing.
"Overseas students and other young people are welcome to start up businesses in Seoul."
He emphasized the combination of this young generation would be remarkable. "Innovation originates from diversity."
His remarks came after Premier Li, addressing the first China-South Korea Young Leaders' Forum in Seoul on Monday, called for stronger innovation cooperation in youth exchanges between the two nations.
The mayor said Seoul will be committed to nurturing and providing preferential policies and services for start-up companies and appealed for more young elites to join in, which would also help to ease the present grim employment situation. The youth unemployment rate in Seoul is more than 10 percent, according to media reports.
Youth exchanges, as a new form of cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two nations, represent the upgrading of bilateral relations that is not just confined to routine high-level talks and collaboration between major corporations, Park said.
Acknowledging the lack of dynamism in South Korean economic development, he pointed out that China, as one of the world's greatest economies, can benefit South Korea and the region.
"China is an important partner for South Korea and our future development could not survive without the Chinese market," he said, adding that great potential on the international stage would be delivered if South Korea closely works with China.
Park was in Beijing for the three-day Second Understanding China Conference in Beijing, held to provide a platform for entrepreneurs, intellectuals and former state leaders to deepen their knowledge about the country.
