Busan mayor visits El Salvador, Costa Rica to promote Expo bid

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Sun, September 24, 2023 | 17:10

Foreign Affairs

Busan mayor visits El Salvador, Costa Rica to promote Expo bid

Posted : 2022-10-06 08:20

Updated : 2022-10-07 08:24

Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, left, meets Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, Sept. 29, to promote the Korean city's bid to host the World Expo 2030. Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan City Government

By Ko Dong-hwan

As part of his campaign to host the World Expo 2030, Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon flew to Central America in an attempt to win over the leaders of two countries there.

With South Korea's former Foreign Affairs Minister Yu Myung-hwan (2008-2010) joining the trip as a special envoy, Park and a presidential delegation sent by President Yoon Suk-yeol visited El Salvador on Sept. 28 and Costa Rica the following day. The two countries mark this year as the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Seoul.

In the city of San Salvador, Park and Yu met President Nayib Bukele and Vice President Felix Ulloa separately and shared words of appreciation for the past diplomatic efforts shared by both countries. Park said that residents of Busan, "with the world's only U.N. Peace Memorial Hall in the city, never forgot the financial support El Salvador had provided to South Korea."

The leaders discussed ways for more active bilateral exchanges and trade in industries, including: coffee, tourism and digital financial services such as blockchain. They also shared ideas on how to exchange public workers from both countries as another measure to strengthen bilateral ties.

Park also told Bukele how prepared Korea's largest port city is to host World Expo 2030 and shared his wishes to maximize the diplomatic ties between Busan and El Salvador. Bukele, according to the Diplomacy and Trade Division under the Busan Metropolitan City Government's 2030 Expo Bid Promotion Headquarters, agreed with Park's wish to strengthen bilateral ties and his assessment of Busan's optimal conditions for hosting the Expo.

Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, left, and South Korea's former Foreign Affairs Minister Yu Myung-hwan, right, meet El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele in San Salvador, Sept. 28. Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan City Government

The Korean delegation then headed to Costa Rica on Sept. 29 and met the country's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Worship Arnoldo Andre Tinoco. Mentioning that Costa Rica has "the highest index in political progressiveness in Central and South America," Park said the country is "an excellent strategic partner to Busan to exchange trades in maritime, cultural, manpower and smart city sectors."

Meeting Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves in Puntarenas, Yu delivered a handwritten letter from Yoon marking the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomacy and thanked the Central American nation for its continued support for South Korea whenever East Asia's peace and security have been under threat. Park also proposed bilateral cooperation in sectors that both sides would mutually benefit from, including shipbuilding, tourism, films, culture and semiconductors.

Chaves mentioned that South Korea's shaping of national policies particularly under long-term goals is one of the strongest reasons behind the country's rapid economic growth, according to Busan's Diplomacy and Trade Division. The president also expressed his wishes to learn such statecraft practices from South Korea so as to boost the economy of his own country.

The Korean envoys' latest trip followed Park's back-to-back visits to Miami in the United States and Panama in September to promote Busan's Expo hosting bid.

aoshima11@koreatimes.co.kr