Jung Da-hyun is a reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues in Korea, including foreign residents, education, environment and politics. Driven by a deep interest in people’s stories, she focuses on investigative and feature reporting through direct interviews and field coverage. She received the Amnesty International Korea Media Award for her “Deepfake Crisis at Schools” series. Reach her at dahyun08@koreatimes.co.kr. Always open to hearing your stories.
Busan citizens disappointed but ready for World Expo 2035 bid
Disappointed crowds pack up at Busan Citizens Hall after the city failed to win its bid to host World Expo 2030 during the General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
By Jung Da-hyun
1,600 people gather to cheer on port city's Expo bid
BUSAN — "I can't believe it ended so badly ... The votes obtained were less than we expected," said a citizen after Busan fell short in its bid to host World Expo 2030, Wednesday.
The despondent supporter was among approximately 1,600 people who flocked to Busan Citizens Hall from 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, to support and cheer for Busan’s bid to host World Expo 2030 ahead of the announcement for the venue for the Expo from the 173rd General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in Paris.
At 1:20 a.m., Wednesday, people began to leave the venue while expressing disappointment as Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, won the bid to host the prestigious global fair, receiving 119 out of 165 votes, vastly outdoing Busan’s 29 votes and with Rome fairing even worse, securing just 17 ballots in the first and only round of voting.
“To be honest, I came here with high expectations for the bid, but the votes were less than I thought they would be. It’s heartbreaking,” said Kim Sung-ryong, a 67-year-old man who spent five hours at the event to support Busan.
Dream Ai, a Busan-based children's cheerleading squad, gives a performances during a support event at Busan Citizens Hall, Tuesday, for the city's bid to host World Expo 2030. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
At Busan Citizens Hall, people gathered and cheered on the city until the result of the secret ballot was announced. The Busan Metropolitan Chorus and Dream Ai, a Busan children’s cheerleading squad, gave performances on the stage during the event.
The gathered supporters also watched a promotional film for the bid and saw the live broadcast of the presentations by each of the three candidate cities.
Before the presentation started, the citizens hall was filled with an upbeat and lively atmosphere, as people enjoyed performances, waved flags, wrote memos on the wall, and prayed and cheered for Busan to win the right to host the Expo.
“We practiced from last Friday, day and night for the cheerleading performance today,” said Han Na-yoon, aged 11, a member of Dream Ai.
“How much we hoped Busan could host World Expo 2030 was reflected in how much we prepared for the performance and gave our support,” said Kim Ga-ryeong, 13, another member of the cheering squad.
Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gives a speech in Paris during the final presentation for Korea's bid to host World Expo 2030, Tuesday. Courtesy of Office for Government Policy Coordination
Oh Eun-taek, the head of Busan’s Nam District Office, expressed his eagerness during the cheering event.
“I wrote down my wish for Busan to become the venue for the World Expo on the day of the first full moon of the Lunar New Year. That was my only wish,” he said.
During the presentation, attendees watched the live broadcast quietly as others were even seen praying.
Supporters show their disappointment at Busan Citizens Hall, Wednesday, as Saudi Arabia's Riyadh was announced as the winner of the vote to determine the host city for World Expo 2030. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Around 1:20 a.m., the result of the vote was shown on the screen and the hall fell into a deathly silence as people realized Busan's hopes were dashed.
The hall was then filled with sighs as the result was officially announced. Leaving the hall, some people were weeping and expressing deep regret over the result.
“We all looked forward to it and cheered for it. We waited up this late expecting that it would be a close game, but we were shocked because the gap in the number of votes between Riyadh and Busan was so large,” said Lee Myung-soon, a Busan citizen who attended the cheering event.
“We’ve been waiting for the event and cheering all day long,” her friend added.
The performance hall was empty 20 minutes after the outcome was announced.
Supporters gather at Busan Citizens Hall to participate in a cheering event for Busan’s bid to host the World Expo 2030, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
While people expressed their shared sorrow, some people highlighted that it was meaningful that the government, businesses and the general public have worked as a team with one specific goal.
“Regardless of the result, we prepared diligently for approximately a year. I think it was a very meaningful process — the cheering, promoting and preparing for the bid,” said Choi Joo-ho, the vice spokesperson of the Busan Metropolitan Government.
After watching the result, Choi said it is meaningful that Korea stood out during the promotion period, conveying a sense of regret about the fact that the preparation period was short.
“Still, I feel proud that I have informed the world of Korea and Busan,” he said.
He showed his will to prepare more thoroughly and make another attempt for Busan to win the right to host World Expo 2035.
If Korea secures the bid for World Expo 2035, it would become the seventh nation to host each of the world's three premier events — the World Cup, the Olympics and the World Expo.