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Busan thankful for help during War
Mayor Park welcomes delegations from UN forces nations.
Mayor Park Heong-joon expressed his deepest gratitude to government officials from 22 U.N. member states who visited Busan to commemorate U.N. Forces Participation Day and the 70th Anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement.
On July 26, the city hosted a luncheon for members of the U.N. group. Participants included world leaders such as New Zealand Governor-General Cindy Kiro; Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel; Matthew Keogh, Australia's Minister for Veterans' Affairs; and Patricia Miralles, the French Secretary of State for Veterans' Affairs and Remembrance.
During the event, the world leaders enjoyed a gourmet meal of local foods. The city also used the event as an opportunity to promote Busan's World Expo candidacy, and presented an Expo promotional video as well as a performance by a local children's chorus.
Mayor Park thanked the esteemed guests for the "humanity" their countries showed to Korea during the Korean War. He added that hosting the 2030 World Expo would allow Korea to reciprocate in kind, and give back to the international community.
After the luncheon, the delegation attended the 2023 Ministerial Summit on Veterans Affairs, hosted by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.
The ministry, newly established by the central government this year, invited the U.N. delegation as part of their "Amazing 70" project. Amazing 70 is a campaign to celebrate Korea's rise in the 70 years since the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement. More importantly, the project is meant to express gratitude to and honor the soldiers and veterans whose sacrifice allowed the past 70 years to happen. Finally, the project aims to promote the "value of freedom" with the global community and share insights on Korea's amazing success story to help future generations.