Shandong and South Korea enterprise representatives make matchmaking exchanges after the opening ceremony of the 2025 China (Shandong)-South Korea Friendship Week. [Photo/Dazhong News]

The 2025 China (Shandong)-South Korea Friendship Week began in Jinan, East China's Shandong province, on Nov 20, launching a series of cultural, economic, trade, and youth exchanges to boost mutual development and cooperation between both sides.

As neighboring regions across the Yellow Sea, Shandong and South Korea have fostered close cultural and economic ties. Shandong has hosted various exhibitions and performances in South Korea, featuring themes such as folk painting, cultural relics, and shadow puppets. The province has also organized multiple cultural tourism promotion events in South Korea.

Economic cooperation between Shandong and South Korea has deepened in recent years. Weihai Port operates three weekly direct shipping routes to and from Incheon Port in South Korea, facilitating the port-linking integrated transportation model. This model enables seamless logistics between Weihai Port, Weihai Airport, Incheon Port, and Incheon Airport, reducing customs procedures and cutting costs by 30 percent, with transportation time shortened to just 16 hours.

In 2024, Shandong's trade with South Korea reached 299.23 billion yuan ($42.09 billion), a 14.1 percent increase from the previous year. By the third quarter of this year, the trade value had already reached 203.22 billion yuan. Leveraging its strategic location, Shandong has become a vital player in China-South Korea economic cooperation.

In addition to trade, many South Korean companies have invested in Shandong, attracted by its robust industrial value chains and supporting infrastructure. To date, there are 4,410 South Korean-invested enterprises in Shandong, with actual foreign investment reaching $8.7 billion. Major South Korean corporations, including Samsung, LG, Hyundai, SK, and Hanwha, have established operations in the province, significantly boosting local economic development.