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Friday, September 19, 2014 Contact:  Mayor Caldwell's Press Office, 768-5768 (Jesse Broder Van Dyke mobile: 489-0341)   Mayors of Honolulu and Seoul sign Memorandum of Understanding           Seoul, Korea – Mayor Caldwell and Seoul Mayor Park Won-Soon today signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism and Culture between the City and County of Honolulu and the City of Seoul at Mayor Park's office.     The memorandum facilitates increased conversation and cooperation between Honolulu and Seoul in a vital sector of our economy and bolsters our longstanding, strong cultural ties.   Over 200,000 Koreans visited Honolulu last year alone.  There are four direct flights daily from Seoul to Honolulu International Airport, bringing up to 1,210 Korean visitors to O'ahu every day.       Prior to the signing ceremony, Mayor Caldwell met with Mayor Park in his private office to further discuss business and cultural exchanges.      Also today, Mayor Caldwell met with officials from the Seoul Department of Transportation.  Mayor Caldwell gained insight into how to further integrate technology into TheBus and rail, and city's emergency management system.     Then, Mayor Caldwell travelled to Incheon to represent Honolulu in the opening ceremony of the 2014 Asian Games.  The Asian Games are hosted by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and feature 13,000 athletes and officials from the 45 OCA member states.  Athletes will compete in 36 different sporting events.  For more information on the 17th Asian Games, please visit http://www.incheon2014ag.org.    Mayor Caldwell arrived in Korea on Thursday and returns to Honolulu on Monday.  During his trip, Managing Director Ember Shinn is serving as Acting Mayor.   The text of the Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism and Culture between the City and County of Honolulu and the City of Seoul:   The City and County of Honolulu and the City of Seoul (hereafter referred to as "both cities") have pursued friendly exchanges and cooperation over the years since first signing a Joint Communique on October 22, 1973. To strengthen exchanges and cooperation as sister cities in the field of tourism and culture and to implement a joint tourism program for the benefit of the citizens, both cities hereby sign this Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism and Culture and agree as follows   Article 1 The purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding is to provide practical benefits to the citizens of each city visit the other city, touring history museums, art galleries, and more.   Article 2 Both cities shall work together to promote the tourism and culture facilities of each city, such as history museums, art galleries, and more, to the citizens of each city.   Article 3 Both cities shall strive to pursue practical exchanges and cooperation in the tourism and culture field, and if necessary, engage in additional discussions.   The Memorandum of Understanding has been prepared in authentic duplicate in English and Korea, and shall enter into force upon the official signing on September 19, 2014 in Seoul.   Mayor of Honolulu                                          Mayor of Seoul United States of America                                 Republic of Korea   -END-