LG bolsters Busan Expo bid in Paris ahead of BIE General Assembly

An LG-made billboard promoting Busan's bid to host World Expo 2030 is installed near Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris, France. Courtesy of LG

By Lee Kyung-min

LG Corp. is intensifying promotional activities in Paris and France, to bolster Korea's bid to host World Expo 2030 in its southern coastal city of Busan, according to the firm, Friday. Paris is the city where Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) will hold its General Assembly over the following month. BIE is an intergovernmental organization in charge of overseeing and regulating World Expos.

The local conglomerate said it will install large advertisements near Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris for a month starting June 16 (local time) to support the Expo bid.

The international airport is a gateway to major cities in Europe averaging 4.8 million monthly users last year.

The firm said the ad campaigns will illustrate the competitiveness of Busan as a venue for the World Expo, mostly by highlighting that the city has modern and traditional characteristics as well as eco-friendly qualities.

It will install 110 large billboards near the BIE general meeting hall in Paris. The advertisement will be seen at bus stops, subway stations, parks and streets near the hall.

LG has been promoting the Expo bid in other countries. Since June of last year, it installed large electronic boards promoting Busan's Expo bid at Times Square in New York and Piccadilly Circus in London.

Digital signage boards were put up at Warsaw Chopin Airport in Poland, and near Warsaw Central Station.

In April, an eight-member delegation led by BIE Administration and Budget Committee President Patrick Specht visited Korea. The eight members visited Korea to assess the country's viability and feasibility to host the high-profile international event in Busan in 2030. They said the weeklong visit to Busan was an opportunity to feel the enthusiasm and high level of civic pride shown by Korean citizens.

The BIE will hold a vote in November to select the host city for the 2030 international event.

Korea's competitors are Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Italy's Rome and Ukraine's Odesa. Russia's Moscow was among the list of contenders but withdrew its bid.

Members of K-pop group BTS were appointed as honorary ambassadors for World Expo 2030. Korea has established an expo bid committee led by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Chey Tae-won.