Yoon returns from Paris after making final pitch for Busan World Expo

Nov 27, 2023, 08:29 am

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President Yoon Suk-yeol delivers a speech at South Korea’s National Day reception at Brongniart Palace in Paris, France, on Nov. 24, 2023, as he is visiting the European country to urge support for the South’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo in its port city of Busan. / Source: Yonhap News

AsiaToday reporter Hong Sun-mi

President Yoon Suk-yeol returned home Sunday from Paris after making a final pitch to bring the 2030 World Expo to Busan.

During his three-day visit to France, Yoon devoted all his time to promote South Korea’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo in its southeastern city of Busan except for the Korea-France summit.

Yoon met all the delegates from the 182 member states of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the body in charge of overseeing the World Expo, according to the presidential office.

Starting with a dinner hosted by the UNESCO delegation on Thursday, the first day of his arrival in Paris, he attended a luncheon hosted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) delegation on Friday, and a Korea National Day reception hosted by the Korean Embassy in the French capital.

Yoon appealed for support by visiting all tables and contacting every participant in every event.

Since taking office, Yoon has held nearly 150 summit meetings with a total of 96 countries and has appealed for support for hosting the expo.

Yoon visited France twice this year, where the election to host the country at the BIE general assembly is held. He visited Paris back in June to deliver a presentation in front of BIE representatives. It was a rare move for the leader to visit one country twice a year, the presidential office explained.

The heads of Korea’s leading conglomerates, including SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, also volunteered to appeal for support for Busan.

“’One Team Korea’ will demonstrate its fighting spirit in the time remaining!” Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said in a briefing in Paris Friday.

With only days to go until the selection of the host city on Tuesday, government will continue to promote Busan’s bid. Prime Minister Han Duk-soo departed for Paris Sunday for a five-day visit to continue meeting with BIE delegates and oversee the voting process.

The general assembly of the BIE will take place in Paris on Tuesday, where 182 member states will be voting for a host among Busan, Riyadh and Rome.

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