Hyun Sung-jin speaks to journalists in Zibo on Dec 2. [Photo/iqilu.com]

South Korean entrepreneur Hyun Sung-jin first came to Zibo in 1996 and has slowly fallen in love with the city, as he has witnessed the fast pace of change in Zibo, East China's Shandong province.

Hyun has witnessed Zibo's growth over the past two decades. He founded two production-oriented companies and is currently the chairman of Zibo Dongbang Environmental Protection Technology Ltd.

In addition, he contributed to the establishment of the first Korean industrial park in Zibo and introduced Zibo Taixun Plastics Ltd and other seven Korean-funded enterprises to the city.

He has been an investment adviser to Zibo city and its Linzi district since 2001.

Since then, Hyun has begun building a platform for China-South Korea cooperation in economic, trade, cultural and educational exchanges.

"It is important to make friends and for example there are a number of student exchanges between China and the Republic of Korea each year," Hyun said.

He interprets an idiom of the Analects of Confucius – "If three walk together, one can be my teacher" – in his own way.

Hyun also helped Zibo and South Korea's Gwangju city become sister cities in 2016, as well as for the Shandong University of Technology and South Korea's Kyungwon University to be sister schools.

Speaking of the reason why he started to learn Chinese in the first place, he said it was during the 1982 Seoul Olympics that he realized there would be a great potential to cooperate with China. That's why he came to Zibo in 1996 and now – with his second child is in his third year of high school – Hyun is convinced that his children will have a bright future in China.

"Zibo's development is thanks to its superior investment environment and policies and the municipal government has helped companies to solve difficulties and provided excellent services," Hyun said.

South Korea and China will have established diplomatic relations for 30 years in 2022. Hyun hopes that next year will be a more dynamic year and various international exchange activities will carry on as scheduled.