The government, the private sector, other parts of the nation joined forces to provide full support to Busan’s bid to host the World Expo 2030 as a delegation of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) made an on-site inspection tour in Korea from April 2 to April 7.
Wrapping up the tour, Patrick Specht, president of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Administration and Budget Committee, who led the BIE Enquiry Mission, said, “Let me just point out that Busan has everything that it takes to host the World Expo.”
He told reporters that the assessment was based on a number of criteria, ranging from political support to financial and logistics viability, as well as support from commercial entities and citizens.
BIE Secretary General Dimitri Kerkentzes mirrored Specht’s comment as to Busan's viability, saying the city’s proposed plan to relocate North Port facilities for the Expo is “more than feasible. ”A majority of the North Port site currently operates as either piers or container yards.
Kerkentzes also said that Busan was trying to propose its bid in a way that would lead to a much stronger participation in World Expos for all participating countries.
He was referring to the "Busan Initiative," aimed at helping developing countries find solutions to challenges and crises they face with the help of the host nation, and having them presented via World Expo exhibitions.
BIE’s delegates, including Patrick Specht, president of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Administration and Budget Committee, pose with Korean officials, including Secretary General Yoon Sang-jik of the World EXPO 2030 Busan Bid Committee, and Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon at a ceremony to welcome the delegation on April 2. (Photo: MOTIE)
As for Busan’s bid for the World Expo, President Yoon Suk-yeol stressed “one team” between the central and local governments while participating in the 4th Meeting of the Central and Regional Cooperation Council in Busan on April 7.
On that day, President Yoon toured Busan and met with BIE’s inspection delegation. It was the second time in four days President Yoon held meetings with the inspection team.
Heads of four regional cooperation bodies, including Chairman Lee Cheol-woo of the Governors Association of Korea (GAOK), read a joint resolution to lead efforts to attract the Expo to Busan with President Yoon Suk-yeol in attendance during the 4th Meeting on April 6. (Photo on the courtesy of the website of the Presidential Office)
During a meeting with local government heads, President Yoon said Busan’s expo bid is not something to be done by only Busan.
“The (Busan) Expo will be an international event where we can share our development experiences with the international community and create global innovation by setting out visions (for combating) climate change and (achieving) digital transformation,” President Yoon said, as part of his efforts to bring the expo to Busan.
Earlier, four regional cooperation bodies, including the Governors Association of Korea (GAOK), adopted a resolution to lead efforts to attract the Expo to Busan. Each city and province head announced its own strategies to give a leg-up to the bid. The government, public and private sectors had stepped up their support to Busan’s bid.
Upon their arrival, the inspection delegation of the BIE held meetings with ranking government officials, including President Yoon, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, National Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, and ministers, including Minister Lee Chang Yang of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and Foreign Minister Park Jin in support for their gesture to back Busan’s bid.
MOTIE Mister Lee presented plans to utilize state-of-the-art technologies, such as holograms and air mobility simulators to differentiate Busan from its rival candidates.
Following the meeting, a business luncheon, to welcome the delegation, was hosted by Chairman Chey Tae-won of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and co-chairman of the bid committee.
Top conglomerate leaders have traveled over 2.5 million km, equivalent to the distance of 64 1/2 trips around the Earth, to ramp up diplomatic efforts in support of Busan’s bid.
The civilian World Expo Bidding Committee, consisting of 11 companies including SK, Samsung and Hyundai, had visited 84 countries in support for Busan’s bid since June 2022, according to the KCCI.
Amid a nationwide fervor for supporting Busan’s bid, the BIE’s delegation arrived in Busan for the start of its on-site inspection on the Korean city’s bid on April 4 and met with warm greetings from about 5,000 people.
From the moment the delegation arrived in Busan and departed from the city, Busan had showed off a variety of cultural events including a “K-Culture Night” concert featuring Soprano Jo Su-mi and singer Rain.
Korea’s bid to host the World Expo in Busan aims to make the event a global platform providing solutions for the pressing challenges faced by the post-pandemic world.
Under the theme of “Transforming Our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future,” Busan targets to lead the global fair to take a great leap forward to become a venue of discussions needed for radical transformation like climate change, polarization and digitization.
Busan is also planning to hold exhibitions at the expo featuring artificial intelligence, 6G networks, smart airports, and more innovative, futuristic technology to showcase the country’s technological prowess.
Among the candidates — including Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh, Italy's Rome and Ukraine's Odesa — Busan is the most optimal candidate to deliver on the shifting trends of the World's Fair, given that Korea is the only country to have achieved such rapid industrialization in rising out of the ashes of the devastating Korean War in the 1950s, Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon said in an interview with a English-language daily.
BIE Secretary General Dimitri Kerkentzes and Patrick Specht, president of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Administration and Budget Committee hold a news conference to wrap up the delegation’s inspection mission with Secretary General Yoon Sang-jik of the World EXPO 2030 Busan Bid Committee, and Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon in attendance at Signiel Busan Hotel on April 6.
Korea looks to work hand in hand with developing nations in the search for solutions to address a number of crises, such as the digital divide, climate change, the lack of equal opportunities for education and food insecurity, he said.
Spearheading the so-called “Busan Initiative,” Park chose to visit Lesotho, South Africa and Angola in a 10-day visit until March 3 as part of a special envoy of President Yoon Suk Yeol. It was Park’s first such trip this year.
Park visited four Latin American nations and three European countries in 2022.
The host city of the World Expo is to be decided via a vote in November by Bureau International des Expositions member states at a General Assembly.
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