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As the Expo countdown begins, final efforts ramp up
Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon addresses an audience during the World Expo 2030 Busan Korea Luncheon Reception held on June 21, 2023, in France.
Mayor Park (left) greets President Yoon.
Korean leaders are going all out to secure BIE support come Nov.
With the Bureau International des Expositions set to select the host city of the World Expo 2030 in November, local and central government officials are pulling out all the stops to promote Busan's candidacy.
Busan and the other two finalists, Rome and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will make their final presentations during the BIE's 173rd General Assembly in Paris. Member states will then vote via secret ballot and select the host city of the 2030 Expo.
With less than 100 days remaining until the final ballot, President Yoon Suk Yeol is pushing his "one team" approach, stressing that Busan, the central government, local governments and corporate leaders continue to work together to secure Busan's bid.
Yoon has taken center stage in the effort, as every interaction with a world leader sees him promoting Busan as the best city to host the global event.
The president's passion for hosting the World Expo 2030 was on display during a ceremony marking the 70th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement. The event, held on July 27 at the Busan Cinema Center, had 2,600 attendees, including foreign dignitaries and veterans from the 22 nations that comprised the U.N. forces. Speaking to the audience, Yoon remarked that Korea is positioned to host a World Expo because of the sacrifices made by U.N. soldiers.
Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon has also been unrelenting in his efforts to promote his city's candidacy. Since Aug. 2022, he has visited 26 cities in 20 countries worldwide to garner support for Busan's expo ambitions. Park has been leading the way in persuading world leaders to embrace the Busan World Expo as a solutions platform for nations to come together and address humanity's most pressing challenges.
This spirit of international cooperation defines the "Busan Initiative," a long-term project to tackle global issues like climate change, the digital divide and inequality. Under this ethos, Park has secured three new sister cities and nine new friendly cities. Most recently, Busan signed an agreement of friendship and cooperation with Samarkand, the second-largest city in Uzbekistan. These efforts exemplify Busan's ambition to lead a new era of global collaboration and shared prosperity.
The mayor has been busy promoting locally as well. On July 26, he hosted a luncheon for members of the U.N. delegation invited to help Korea commemorate U.N. Forces Participation Day. He thanked the esteemed guests for the "humanity" their countries showed Korea during the Korean War and added that hosting the World Expo 2030 would allow Korea to reciprocate in kind and give back to the international community.
Finally, Park was integral in establishing the Busan World Disability Conference, the city's first international event focused on the welfare and human rights of persons with disabilities. The event welcomed an impressive gathering of 2,000 participants from 80 countries and six continents.
The BWDC further cemented Busan's commitment to hosting an inclusive and barrier-free World Expo 2030 where every person's culture, abilities and skills will be respected.