TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERS Area leaders celebrate ‘Yongin City Day’
The ties that bind Williamson County to South Korea have just grown even stronger.
Business leaders, elected officials and other community partners celebrated the county’s designation Thursday, Jan. 9, as “Yongin City Day,” as well as a sister-city agreement between the South Korean municipality and Williamson County.
The ceremony at the Williamson County Expo Center gave the overseas visitors a little taste of Texan culture, including a demonstration by a local riding group.
Bonds between South Korea and east Wilco have strengthened ever since Samsung Austin Semiconductor in November 2021 announced plans to build a plant in Taylor.
“It is truly an honor to welcome you to our community,” said Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell to eight visiting dignitaries from Yongin City, including its Mayor Sang Il Lee.
Members of the Clayman Cowgirls, a local riding group, prepare for a roping demonstration to share Texas culture with a visiting delegation of South Korean officials Jan. 9. The riders include Avery Gulbranson (left), Gabri Alvarez, Reagan Roppel and Ellee Schwartz.
“Although the distance and our language may separate us, what really gathers and binds us together is our passion for our community.”
In recent years, eight more companies from South Korea in addition to Samsung have made Williamson County their home, including Soulbrain, Hanwha, iMarket and others, with more than a dozen expressing interest, according to officials.
“We are taking another important step in strengthening this bond,” said Jeffrey Go, Samsung’s executive vice president of the Taylor Project. “This proclamation is not merely a symbolic gesture.”
In July, the Williamson County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the agreement between the two cities to promote “stronger cooperation” and “mutual prosperity,” according to officials.
“Yongin City and Williamson County have a lot of similarities,” Lee said through an interpreter at the Jan. 9 event. “Both cities have populations which are growing fast, and we both have semiconductor manufacturing. …This is a great opportunity for the two cities to communicate more closely and help each other.”
In September, a delegation from Williamson County, including Gravell and Taylor’s Mayor Dwayne Ariola, participated in a signing ceremony in Yongin City, which also has a Samsung facility.
“It was such an honor to get to know Korean culture,” Ariola said.
“They are so polite and courteous and treated us with such respect.”
Ariola said he was also grateful for the brighter future these partnerships have brought to the area.
“We now have jobs; we now have training; we now have the University of Texas coming,” Ariola said.
“It’s because we invited Samsung, and we invited the Korean culture to Taylor.”
Earlier in the day, the delegation visited with area partners, including representatives from Texas State University’s Round Rock campus, officials said.
“The mayor and I had a meeting earlier with (Precinct 4) Commissioner (Russ) Boles and leadership at Texas State University,” Gravell said. “And I think in the days ahead we may have some important and significant announcements between our two nations, our city, our county and with one of our local partners.”
Taylor Mayor Dwayne Ariola (center, left) receives a commemorative plaque from Yongin City Mayor Sang Il Lee. Courtesy photo
