BIE delegates to meet ministers, business leaders during Expo inspection

Workers install a large banner supporting Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030 on the wall of the National Assembly's main building, Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap

9 hours of presentations, cultural events to enthrall delegation

By Lee Kyung-min

An eight-member delegation from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), an intergovernmental organization in charge of overseeing and regulating World Expos, will meet with Korea's top policymakers, lawmakers, business leaders and citizens to see how prepared and enthusiastic they are about Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030, according to the industry ministry, Sunday.

Apart from event organization capabilities illustrated by Korea's high-ranking government officials and business executives, the BIE Enquiry Mission will be able to experience the country's hospitality through cultural events, prepared to enhance their understanding of how Korea can stay distinctive while integrating different cultures seamlessly.

Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Administration and Budget Committee President Patrick Specht, third from left, poses with BIE delegation member Manuel Salchli of Switzerland, third from right, Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, second from right, Korea's Expo bid committee Secretary-General Yoon Sang-jik, second from left, and other officials at the Incheon International Airport, Sunday. Courtesy of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

The delegation is led by BIE Administration and Budget Committee President Patrick Specht. The others include BIE Secretary-General Dimitri S. Kerkentzes; Kevin Isaac, high commissioner of St. Kitts and Nevis to the United Kingdom; Manuel Salchli of Switzerland; and Ferdinand Nagy of Romania.

The eight-member delegation will stay in Korea for six days to assess whether Korea is ready and able to host the high-profile six-month international event. Also under review will be citizens' level of enthusiasm for the event.

Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Administration and Budget Committee President Patrick Specht, second from right, talks with BIE delegation member Manuel Salchli of Switzerland, second from left, Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, third from left, Korea's Expo bid committee Secretary-General Yoon Sang-jik, left, and other officials at the Incheon International Airport,. Courtesy of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

The delegation will prepare a report for 171 BIE members, a comprehensive assessment of whether Korea outmatches its competitors ― Saudi Arabia's Riyadh, Italy's Rome and Ukraine's Odesa. Russia had also been among the list of contenders but withdrew its bid last May.

A previous mission to Saudi Arabia was completed in the first week of March, and Ukraine gave a presentation in Paris in lieu of a site visit in the fourth week of March. The Italy inspection is scheduled for the third week of this month.

Members of the ruling People Power Party's Busan branch hold banners supporting Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030 in front of Busan Station, Saturday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

On Monday, the delegation will have meetings with officials of the Korean government and the Expo bid committee at The Shilla Seoul. They will meet Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang early in the morning, followed by the first presentation about Korea's Expo plans by the Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan and a Q&A session for two and a half hours.

Four presentations and Q&A sessions of nine hours in total are scheduled during their stay. Among the officials to respond to BIE inquiries at the presentations will be the committee Secretary-General Yoon Sang-jik, Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun and Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon. The presentations will also have sub-themes ― "political unity," "theme," "site" and "people and money."

Later in the day, the delegation will join a business luncheon at the hotel hosted by Chey Tae-won, chairman of both the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and SK Group.

The eight members then will meet with Foreign Minister Park Jin at the ministry building in central Seoul, before meeting National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul.

Later that day, they will visit Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, where a weeklong event is being held to express Korean citizens' hopes for Busan to host the 2030 event.

On Tuesday, the delegation will leave Seoul for Busan, the proposed venue for the international event. At Busan Station, an event welcoming the delegation is scheduled before a luncheon at Eulsukdo Island Ecology Park.

In the afternoon, the committee will give its second presentation, which will be followed by a guided tour of the park for 45 minutes. The delegation will have dinner with Mayor Park.

Over 1,500 drones create letters and images celebrating the Bureau International des Expositions Enquiry Mission's visit to Korea in the night sky over Gwangalli Beach in Busan, Saturday. Yonhap

On Wednesday, the third presentation by the committee will take place at Busan Port International Exhibition & Convention Center (BPEX) before the delegation takes a guided tour of the North Port, the proposed venue for the 2030 Expo. Immediately after the 30-minute tour, another presentation will be delivered by the committee.

The eight members will have a luncheon with civic group members, before meeting with Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Cho Seung-hwan for 30 minutes. The delegation will attend a "K-Culture Night" event at Busan Cinema Center.

The next day, they will get a two-hour presentation by the committee, before going on a guided tour of the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea in the city.

They will have a luncheon with a select group of young Koreans. A press conference is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Signiel Busan hotel. After dinner, the delegation will move to Gwangalli Beach for a 30-minute fireworks show.

On Friday, the eight members will depart for Paris from Incheon International Airport.