The International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE) plans to select the host city for the World Expo 2012 on Nov. 27. Korea's Yeosu, located in the southwestern coast of the Peninsula, needs to beat Tangier of Morocco and Wroclaw of Poland to win the hosting. This is Yeosu's second attempt after it failed in an initial bid when it was outmaneuvered by Shanghai of China.
Public support has been growing with the hope that a successful bid will help cast away the gloomy mood hanging over the nation following its marginal defeat by Russia to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. The Korean government, for its part, has been rallying support with President Roh Moo-hyun having repeatedly wooed BIE members to support Yeosu.
A special mission led by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is now in Paris in a last ditch effort to win over the minds of undecided voters. Han plans to invite some 300 BIE members today to appeal for support. Endeavors by business leaders like Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo, in particular, have been prominent. Chung visited numerous countries while mobilizing the global networks of the company toward that end.
Officials appear guardedly optimistic as the nation has been outpacing the two competing nations. But it remains to be seen who will be the final winner. The BIE is likely to conduct a second vote as no party is expected to win two-thirds of the entire vote in the first ballot. Yeosu will be able to advance into the final vote given its initial lead so far. But it needs to learn a lesson from Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, which failed in the second vote in bids for the winter Olympiad despite its leading the initial race.
What concerns us is that an increasing number of African nations have been registered as members of the BIE to back Tangier. Moroccan leaders have been all out in attracting votes from the African continent and Muslim nations. We need to focus on earning votes from European nations with the major share of 36 votes. The Yeosu Expo will likely bring about an enormous economic impact of 10 trillion won in production generation with 90,000 new jobs.
Once Yeosu grabs the hosting right, the remote southwestern coastal areas will see development toward a regional logistic center in Northeast Asia, boosted by nearby Gwangyang Port. With beautiful scenery, they will also be developed as popular tourist destinations from both home and abroad. Yeosu has been applauded for its well-preparedness under the desirable theme of ``The Living Ocean and Coast: Diversity of Resources and Sustainable Activities.'' We believe such a theme is highly proper given the dire need to cope with environmental issues resulting from the ever-serious effect of global warming, among others.