The first was the South African ambassador to Korea, Zenani Nosizwe Dlamini. South Africa was the only African country that provided air force to the Republic of Korea during the Korean war between 1950 and 1953. The second diplomat to whom the city of Pyeongtaek has granted honorary citizenship, as of June of this year, is Gustav Slamečka, the ambassador of the Czech Republic to Korea. At the ceremony in honor of the Czech ambassador, the mayor of the city praised his activities in the field of public diplomacy, which were reflected in a number of concrete projects between the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Seoul and the city of Pyeongtaek.

In recent years, the Czech Embassy has collaborated with the Pyeongtaek International Exchange Foundation (PIEF) on the preparation of events supporting the development of Czech-Korean relations. Through those events, the residents and visitors of Pyeongtaek had the opportunity to learn closely about our country and the possibilities of mutual cooperation. Ambassador Gustav Slamečka then personally attended several meetings with representatives of the local government and communities in Pyeongtaek. Starting with the Czech Culture Week in 2021, the Czech Republic has contributed annually to the success of the Pyeongtaek Children's Art Exchange International Exhibition. The city has also hosted special exhibitions, such as the exhibition Czech Heroines in 2022 or this year's exhibition Czech Composers.

We believe that the partnership with the city of Pyeongtaek will continue to grow and flourish!