Korea ready for final showdown in bid for World Expo 2030

First lady Kim Keon Hee, left, and President Yoon Suk Yeol pose before boarding Air Force One at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Monday, as they depart for France and Vietnam. The president will deliver a speech in English to support Busan's bid to host World Expo 2030 during the Bureau International des Expositions' General Assembly in Paris, Tuesday. Yonhap

Last presentation before November vote to finalize Korean appeal to BIE

By Ko Dong-hwan

Korea seeks to maximize its opportunity to promote Busan as the host of the World Expo 2030 through the fourth and final presentation at the General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in Paris, slated for Tuesday.

Korea is gaining confidence with the mission despite strong competition from Riyadh of Saudi Arabia, before the 170 BIE member countries vote in November to choose the host city. Busan drew compelling comments from the organization's inquiry mission which visited in April and also from participants in various diplomatic and global events so far.

The Korean delegation to Paris for the presentation, led by President Yoon Suk Yeol, will propose solutions to major global issues like the climate crisis, food shortage, transition to clean energies and future global pandemics.

The presidential office hopes the Korean leader, who will give a final speech for Busan in English on Tuesday, will leave an indelible impression on the member states and elicit a Korea-friendly response from them.

Singer PSY, notable for his song "Gangnam Style," will also speak at the presentation, while K-pop star Karina from girl group aespa and internationally renowned soprano Sumi Jo will be featured in a video to impress global guests. There are also other Korean speakers in the lineup for the presentation that the Korean authority has kept confidential so far.

Riyadh and Italy's Rome are also scheduled to give presentations on Tuesday, while Ukraine's Odesa will not participate.

Businesses team up with gov't to support Busan's World Expo bid

2023-06-19 16:32 | World Expo 2030

Busan citizens greet members of the delegation from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) who arrive at Busan Station to assess the southern port city's capacity to host World Expo 2030, April 4. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Regarding the competition with Riyadh, the presidential office said last week that Korea does not need to be intimidated by Saudi Arabia's huge capital reserves, believed to be the oil-producing state's main leverage for global support in its Expo bid. An official at the presidential office said, "While oil money translates into physical power, Korea's K-brand is soft power that money cannot buy."

Korea's soft power was well displayed when the eight officials from a BIE inquiry mission paid a weeklong visit in early April to assess Busan's capability to host the Expo. After riding an urban air mobility (UAM) model, tasting local cuisine, checking out the North Port ― the main Expo site now under major redevelopment ― and natural wildlife preserves, experiencing K-pop performances and witnessing large crowds fervently welcoming their visit, the officials from the Paris-based organization said Korea's biggest port city surpassed all the other candidates.

Busan seemed to have dominated Riyadh regarding the inquiry mission's assessment of how deeply the country's leader wants to host the event, how well the state government understands the World Expo and is prepared for it, how passionate the public is about the event and how much the local media outlets are interested, according to the presidential office source.

Another official from the presidential office said that less than half of the BIE member states have publicly endorsed a particular city, hinting that there is still a large number of swing voters who may choose Busan at the BIE's General Assembly in Paris in November. He mentioned instances where Saudi Arabia sought the votes of countries which had already demonstrated support for Busan's bid.

Saudi Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman visited Paris on Friday to meet French President Emmanuel Macron. The Korean official said the prince may have arrived in the French capital early to meet with officials ahead of this week's BIE assembly.

From left, BIE Secretary-General Dimitri Kerkentzes, Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, Busan World Expo Bidding Committee Secretary-General Yoon Sang-jick, and Patrick Specht Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Administration and Budget Committee president, meet during a press conference at Signiel Busan, April 6. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Busan's diplomatic efforts

While the presidential office has been orchestrating the country's national bid for World Expo 2030, Busan has also been playing its part, with its mayor busily working toward the goal.

Mayor Park Heong-joon has been at the forefront of efforts, visiting countries to meet local governors and mayors and hosting numerous state guests and international events to promote Busan. It resulted in Busan forming 16 friendly ties and 28 sisterhood partnerships with international cities as of June 8.

Park met the heads of 14 Pacific Island countries on May 30 in Busan where he introduced the Korea-Ocean Economy Initiative. Together with the Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Busan wants to use the initiative to develop the port city and help the island states counter climate change, develop maritime businesses and nurture experts.

The initiative is part of the city government's broader goal of embracing developing countries in Asia, Africa, Central America and the Pacific through Korean official development assistance (ODA) projects. The representatives from those regions account for 106 out of the total BIE member states.