BIE delegation members say ‘Busan is excellent’ _ The DONG-A ILBO_최적화··············································································· 1

BIE members feel Seoul’s fever for Busan Expo_최적화·························· 3

Biz leaders welcome BIE delegation, reaffirm support for Busan’s Expo bid_최적화·················································································· 5

Busan has everything required to host 2030 Expo_ BIE delegation chief_최적화··············································································· 9

Korea’s Busan has everything to host 2030 World Expo_최적화··········· 12

Wheels up for BIE delegation after successful visit to Busan_최적화········· 18

Yoon tells BIE delegation, ‘Busan is ready’_최적화······························· 23

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BIE delegation members say ‘Busan is excellent’

Posted April. 08, 2023 07:56, Updated April. 08, 2023 07:56

Two delegation members for the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) reportedly said in a closed private meeting that Busan is excellent.

Busan Mayor Hyeong-joon Park told a group of journalists gathered at the city hall on Friday morning that the BIE delegation evaluated that the City of Busan has everything it needs to host the World Expo. From Tuesday to Thursday, a total of

eight delegates visited envisioned host locations in Busan including Busan North Port and met with citizens from all walks of life while inspecting the city’s

preparations for the 2030 World Expo before returning home on Friday.

Mayor Park noted that Patrick Specht, the head of the delegation who visited Korea for the first time, expressed that Busan is a much more advanced city than he had expected. The Busan mayor added that the whole delegation must have

returned home more than happy with the enthusiastic welcome the city extended to them. According to Mayor Park, Dr. Kevin Isaac, a delegate representing Saint Kitts and Nevis and poet, said he would start working on several poems after he enjoyed fireworks at Busan’s Gwangalli Beach on Thursday.

The delegation expressed gratitude during their three-day stay in the city

whenever they encountered a warm welcome from the citizens. Immediately before moving to the airport for departure, the delegates even shook hands with every single member of the traffic police in front of their hotel in Haeundae-gu. One police officer said the delegation seemingly wanted to thank the police team who ensured safety during their stay and added that they even asked for a

photoshoot first. “I was moved by the delegates who even delayed their boarding onto the bus to express their appreciation in person,” said Yoon Chang-yong (age 29), a policeman from the Haeundae police station in charge of the delegation security.

The City of Busan and the business circle have put their best protocol efforts till the last moment. Air Busan prepared a private jet (BX2030) exclusively for the delegation members, whose exterior was specifically decorated to support Busan’s expo bid. Eight flight attendants were on board to accommodate each BIE

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delegate with customized services along with special in-flight meals made with Busan’s regional specialties. The delegation arrived at the Incheon International

Airport via the private jet, where they would take the planes to their homes. Mayor Park said the campaign team would exert themselves in both working on their

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BIE members feel Seoul’s fever for Busan Expo

Apr 4, 2023 – 10:39

Members of BIE take a ride a ship that symbolizes « the voyage of hope for the Expo, » and Manuel Salchli, Swiss representative of the BIE, spins the helm in Gwanghwamun Plaza, Monday. (Lee Yoon-seo/The Korea Herald)

The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) committee visited Gwanghwamun Plaza in central Seoul on Monday evening, where promotional events were held to support

Busan to win the bid for World Expo 2030.

Representatives of the BIE came to South Korea on Sunday, and are scheduled to meet government officials and visit Busan to assess the city’s suitability to host the World

Expo.

The eight members of the BIE took a stroll around the LED rose garden, and listened to explanations of the giant lanterns, which were made in shape of historical buildings and statues that represent former World Expos. The BIE members then went on a ship that symbolizes « the voyage of hope for the Expo.. »

Led by Patrick Specht, president of the BIE Administration and Budget Committee, the delegation visited experience booths run by the Korean conglomerates, listening to explanations about the companies’ new technology through mobile translation devices.

The head of the BIE, Patrick Specht (fourth from left) and members of BIE listen to explanation regarding Kia’s ESG efforts in Kia’s booth in Gwanghwamun Plaza, Monday. (Lee Yoon-seo/The Korea Herald)

At Kia’s booth, the BIE members checked out the automaker’s latest EV9 model, and heard about the company’s ESG initiatives.

They then took a practice ride on the Office Omnipod by LG Electonics and listened to explanations about the company’s state-of-art display technologies.

In Samsung Electronics’ booth, Specht wrote a short message regarding Busan’s bid to host the Expo on a Galaxy S23 Ultra — while trying out the camera on the Galaxy S23 Ultra by taking a picture with the rest of the delegation.

After listening to SK’s explanation of its battery products, they finished off the tour by cheering and clapping to a Lotte marching band’s performance of « Uptown Funk » by Bruno Mars.

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April 11, 2023

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Biz leaders welcome BIE delegation, reaffirm support for Busan’s Expo bid

PUBLISHED : April 04, 2023 – 09:17

UPDATED : April 04, 2023 – 09:17

Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Chey Tae-won (fourth from right) and Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) officials pose for a photo with Busan Expo supporters during an event held to welcome the BIE inspection team’s visit, at a hotel in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)

The Busan Expo bidding committee hosted a welcome lunch on Monday for delegates from the Bureau International des Expositions, who visited the port city for a six-day on-site inspection ahead of its vote for deciding the host city of the World Expo 2030.

“Before their busy schedule in Seoul and Busan for the next five days, I hope the delegates have a comfortable time during this lunch. (The inspection) will be a tough process, but I want you know that Korea and Busan are ready for it,” said SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-

won, who serves as co-chair of the bidding committee and is also the chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The luncheon was designed to convey the Korean business community’s firm commitment

Samsung Electronics President Park Seung-hee; SK SUPEX Council Social Value Committee President Lee Hyung-hee; Hyundai Motor Vice President Kim Dong-wook; and LG Corp. President Ha Beom-jong.

The eight-member team led by Patrick Specht, president of the BIE Administration and Budget Committee, arrived in Seoul on Sunday. The team will visit the candidate city and meet with government officials, political and business leaders and key figures involved in the bid project.

Their inspection will center on 14 items, including the reason behind and theme of the Busan World Expo, infrastructure facilities such as sites and transportation, accommodation measures, financial plans and expected number of exhibition participants and visitors.

Boston Dynamics’ four-legged walking robot Spot made a surprise appearance to guide the delegation team to the luncheon venue.

Hyundai Motor, which was in charge of on-site operations, is known to have actively responded to the KCCI’s idea of using Spot for the visit.

« Busan is a representative city of Korea in various fields such as the environment, future technology, development and welfare, and will be the best city for implementing the Expo’s theme, » the committee said in a statement. Korea’s theme for the World Expo 2030 is “Transforming Our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future.”

Meanwhile, Korean firms carried out promotional campaigns in Seoul, Busan and online spaces.

Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor and LG Group set up booths at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul which ran from March 30 to Monday, featuring Expo-related exhibits and installations.

KB Kookmin Bank released a campaign video titled « Busan is ready » to support the city’s bid on Sunday.

The video focused on promoting Busan’s major attractions such as Gwangandaegyo Bridge, Dongbaek Island, White Yeoul Culture Village and Haeundae Blue Line Park.

The on-site inspection report will be submitted to the BIE’s General Assembly scheduled for the end of June, and will be shared among all 171 member countries.

Busan is in competition with three other candidates — Rome, the Saudi capital of Riyadh and the Ukrainian city of Odesa. The host country of the World Expo 2030 will be decided by a BIE General Assembly vote to be held at the end of November this year.

By Park Han-na (hnpark@heraldcorp.com)

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

Delegates especially impressed by enthusiasm shown by citizens

By Jung Min-ho

BUSAN ― Representatives of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) affirmed Busan’s readiness to host the World Expo 2030, as they concluded their inquiry mission, Thursday, to evaluate the Korean port city’s ability to host the global event.

Speaking at a press conference, delegates of the World Expo organizing body said they were especially impressed by and grateful for the enthusiasm demonstrated by citizens on the streets.

“Busan has everything that it takes to host the World Expo,” Patrick Specht, president of the BIE Administration and Budget Committee, said. “In terms of hospitality, Busan is excellent.”

During their five-day inspection that started Sunday, the delegates met with President Yoon Suk Yeol, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, ministers, lawmakers, businesspeople and members of civic

groups, who showed their shared passion for the world fair.

To Dimitri Kerkentzes, the secretary-general of the BIE, the public’s “incredible warmth” was the most memorable part, saying he has “never seen such enthusiasm” in any other country.

However, the delegates declined to comment when asked about the city’s viability compared to that of Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh, saying that they would evaluate each candidate city according to its own merits only. Supported by China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Cuba, Belarus and several other countries,

the Middle Eastern city has so far been regarded as the strongest contender in the competition over Ukraine’s Odesa, Italy’s Rome and Busan.

In recent months, Busan Expo project officials have been stepping up their efforts to win the hearts of developing countries by offering long-term support for those seeking to emulate Korea’s economic success. The Busan Initiatives aim to provide training and firsthand know-how rather

than, say, financial aid for one-time construction projects.

Kerkentzes praised their efforts, saying the initiatives are in line with the spirit of the World Expo.

“Expos are not just six-month events. It’s the whole process leading up to the event, and perhaps even more, » Kerkentzes said. “Korea does not see this as a six-month event … And I think that this is one of the important points that sometimes we forget about Expos.”

From left, Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Secretary-General Dimitri Kerkentzes, BIE Administration and Budget Committee President Patrick Specht, Busan World Expo Bidding Committee Secretary General Yoon Sang-jick and Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon

smile during a press conference at Signiel Busan, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

He also said the proposed theme of the Busan Expo ― “Transforming Our World, Navigating

Toward a Better Future” ― matches well with what the city aims to achieve through the event as it seeks to work together with all member states to find solutions for many challenges, such as climate change, facing everyone on the planet.

Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon said that he was satisfied with everything he and his team did for the inspection. For the next seven months, they will focus on strengthening relations with member states individually through the Busan Initiatives.

“I think we have shown that Busan is ready for the Expo just as we prepared, as well as why we would need an Expo seven years later and why it has to be Busan,” he said.

Following the media conference and a farewell dinner with Expo campaign officials, the BIE delegates watched fireworks displayed over Gwangalli Beach. They leave Korea on Friday.

Before their visit to Busan, the delegates went to Riyadh, which they also said presented a “strong” case to host the 2030 event. A delegation from Ukraine visited BIE in Paris to promote Odesa. The inspection team is scheduled to travel to Rome later this month.

The results of their inspections are going to be compiled in official reports, which the BIE member states will review when deciding which bidder to support. The candidate cities will give their fourth presentations in June and their final ones in November in Paris at the BIE General Assembly, during which the winner will be decided by secret ballot.

(4th LD) S. Korea’s Busan has everything to host 2030 World Expo: BIE delegation chief

21:47 April 06, 2023

(ATTN: UPDATES with details of farewell dinner in paras 11-12; ADDS photo)

BUSAN, April 6 (Yonhap) — Busan has everything needed to host the 2030 World Expo, the chief of the international committee delegation said Thursday, as it was to wrap up its on-site inspection in South Korea’s candidate city for the event with attendance at the final bidding presentation, a lunch with young citizens and a fireworks show on Thursday.

Patrick Specht, president of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) administration and budget committee, made the comments in a press conference in the southeastern port city as he visited as the chief of the eight-member delegation. His team is on a six-day trip to South Korea for an inspection, which started Sunday.

The official said Busan has everything that it would need to host the World Expo, noting his team received a warm welcome from the people of the city and the South Korean government, and had good experiences during the trip.

The inspection was meant to verify if Busan will be able to host the event in financial and logistical terms, and if there is enough political backing, as well as enough support from private companies and citizens, he added.

Delegates of the Bureau International des Expositions pose for a photo during their visit to the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan, 325 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on April 6, 2023. (Yonhap)

ation received the fourth and final bid presentation from the Bid ee for World Expo 2030 Busan.

sentation, the delegates were briefed on Busan’s expo-related ness in overall fields, such as finance and public relations, as well

The deleg Committ

In the pre

prepared as the

redevelopment project of Busan North Port, the proposed main expo venue, and plans to build expo facilities there.

The BIE officials then visited the United Nations Memorial Cemetery, a burial ground for U.N. Command service members killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, to re ect on the meaning of realizing world peace through the expo.

Four members of the delegation are from Germany, Greece, France and Italy, which are among the countries that helped South Korea in the war under the U.N. ag.

A children’s choir sang songs such as « Amazing Grace » and « We are the World » for the BIE delegation in front of a memorial monument at the cemetery.

Delegates of the Bureau International des Expositions listen to a presentation on Busan’s bid for the 2030 World Expo in Busan, 325 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on April 5, 2023, in this photo provided by the Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

They had lunch together with people in their 20s and 30s, including international students studying in Busan, to directly listen to their desire to host the 2030 global fair.

A farewell dinner was held for the delegation at Busan’s Nurimaru APEC House attended by President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo along with other Cabinet members, as well as municipal chiefs and provincial governors.

The BIE delegates and other attendees at the dinner watched a large-scale maritime fireworks display presented above the city’s Gwangalli Beach to promote the city’s expo bid.

The delegation plans to leave South Korea on Friday via Busan’s Gimhae International Airport and Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul.

Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city located 325 kilometers southeast of Seoul, is competing with Italy’s Rome, Ukraine’s Odesa and Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh to host the 2030 World Expo overseen by the Paris-based organization.

The BIE officials began their six-day trip to South Korea on Sunday amid a warm welcome from all circles of Korean society.

Over the past four days, they have met with people from all walks of life, including Yoon, government officials, lawmakers, business leaders and ordinary citizens, to witness the nation’s enthusiasm toward Busan’s successful expo bid.

Delegates of the Bureau International des Expositions and representatives of Busan civic groups pose for a photo in the southeastern South Korean port city on April 5, 2023, in front of plastic containers holding 120,000 paper cranes, in this photo provided by the Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Notably, representatives of Busan civic groups delivered 120,000 paper cranes to the BIE team during their lunch on Wednesday.

Based on their belief that folding 1,000 origami cranes would lead to good fortune and make a dream come true, Busan citizens started to fold paper cranes last December and the number has topped 120,000.

In Busan, the BIE delegates received a rock star welcome at Busan Station and elsewhere in the city, where more than 2,000 banners wishing for the city’s successful expo bid were attached to street lamps along the main streets.

On Wednesday, they toured Busan North Port despite gusty winds and heavy spring rain. The North Port area’s 1.98 million square meter lot (equivalent to 277 football fields), which is close to the city’s main train station and central commercial zone, has been envisioned as the main venue of the 2030 World Expo.

The Korean Council of Religious Leaders issued a joint statement Thursday wishing for Busan’s success in hosting the 2030 World Expo.

The statement said Busan is the perfect place to host the expo because the city is a hub of the Korean Wave visited by some 40 million tourists annually and has excellent transportation, tourism and industrial infrastructure.

The BIE completed its inspections of Odesa and Riyadh last month and plans to visit Rome later this month. Its findings will be released to all 171 member states during a general assembly in June. The winning bid is scheduled to be announced in November.

Fireworks are set off above Gwangalli Beach in South Korea’s southeastern port city of Busan on April 6, 2023, to promote the city’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo. (Yonhap)

ycm@yna.co.kr (END)

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Wheels up for BIE delegation after successful visit to Busan

The Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) delegation, after concluding its on-site inspection in Busan, boards a special plane prepared by Air Busan at Gimhae International Airport on Frid ay morning for their return trip to Incheon. [YONHAP]

BUSAN — The inspection team from Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) left Busan the same way it arrived: like popstars.

The eight-member delegation, dressed in light attire and wearing backpacks, pulled up to Gimhae International Airport around 7:50 a.m. on Friday after w rapping up a six-day on-site inspection to evaluate the port city’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo.

During their departure, a group of university students welcomed the team. Each student held a single picket, which together formed the words « World Ex po 2030 Busan, Korea. »

A student choir from the World Angel Peace Art Group shook star-shaped sticks and chanted « See you again in Busan » to the inspection team.

« I am proud and consider it a great opportunity that I have personally participated for the inspection team’s farewell event,” said 16-year-old Kim Na-hyeo

“I really hope Busan can successfully host the 2030 World Expo.”

The BIE arrives at Busan’s Gimhae International Airport on Friday morning, where it was accom panied by a student’s choir as they boarded their flight to Incheon. [YONHAP]

Members of the BIE team took out their mobile phones and snapped photos or waved goodbye to the supporters and other people who were waiting f or their flight.

“It’s wonderful,” Kevin Isaac, a representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis, told reporters before boarding the flight on Friday.

Air Busan, the hub airline of Busan, took on the role of seeing off the inspection team to Incheon. On the day of the departure, Air Busan escorted the team to a red carpet.

An omija-shaped brooch given to the BIE delegation on Friday. The meaning is « Let’s meet aga in. » [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The crew members then pinned omija brooches, which were handmade by a master artisan of traditional crafts, onto the lapels of the eight team memb ers.

Omija, a Korean herbal tea made from dried magnolia berries, is believed to mean « Let’s meet again. » It captured the fervent wish of Busan citizens to ho st the World Expo in 2030 and reunite with the inspection team at the city’s North Port, the proposed site for the international event, Busan City explaine d.

The delegation team, which took eco-friendly hydrogen buses and learned about the city’s sustainable development plan during their stay, also had a de dicated plane designed in an eco-friendly manner for their flight. It was numbered BX2030.

Air Busan’s A321neo aircraft, specially wrapped with a message of the city’s bid to host the World Expo, carried the delegation team to Incheon. The plan e produces 20 percent lower fuel burn, and its engines can reduce carbon emissions by 5,000 tons annually. Air Busan said it plans to retrofit more of suc h planes flying abroad in order to further spread the message.

The local carrier prepared the local tastes and scent of Busan for the BIE members to enjoy during the one-hour flight to Incheon.

Specially-prepared snacks by Air Busan for the BIE delegation [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The items offered on the flight, from the food and drinks to the air freshener, were all locally produced in Busan. Among the treats were white bean paste pastries in the shape of camellia, which is the city’s flower, and shell-shaped cookies filled with sweet potato paste sourced from Yeongdo, the first region in Korea to cultivate sweet potatoes.

Ahn Byeong-seog, the CEO of Air Busan, said they had put in a lot of effort in preparing for the flight.

« Our flight attendants had undergone separate training for about a week specifically for the in-flight services, » Ahn said. Ahn recalled the atmosphere during the escort was positive.

« One of the delegation members told me Busan is a well-prepared city, » the CEO said. « One member said to the flight attendants that they will meet agai n. »

« Patrick Specht, who led the BIE delegation on its on-site inspection, said the whole team had an unforgettable time during their stay here, » said Busan M ayor Park Heong-joon. He put the odds of getting the expo at 50-50.

The BIE delegation team receives a farewell, with Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon and Secretary

-General of the Busan Expo Bidding Committee Yoon Sang-jik present. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The delegation arrived at Incheon International Airport on Sunday and kicked off their stay with a meeting with the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang.

During the visit, the delegation listened to four presentations on the plans for Busan’s proposal to host the Expo and inspected the venues in both Seoul and Busan to assess the level of readiness and enthusiasm for hosting the event.

The delegation team will complete a report on Busan’s proposal in May and share the result with the 171 BIE member countries during a general assemb ly in June.

The final decision will be made in November by a secret ballot. BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]

Yoon tells BIE delegation, ‘Busan is ready’

Five-day on-site inspection begins for Busan’s World Expo bid

Apr 3, 2023 – 15:37

ROBOT GUIDE TO BUSAN EXPO – Delegates from the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE), led by Patrick Specht, president of the BIE Administration and Budget Committee, and Korean business leaders, including SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, are guided by the four-legged walking robot Spot to the venue of a luncheon hosted by the Busan Expo Bidding Committee at the Shilla Seoul on Monday. The robot, developed by Hyundai Motor Group-owned Boston Dynamics, was deployed to the site in line with Korea’s theme for the World Expo in 2030: “Transforming Our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future.” (Yonhap)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday told a delegation dispatched by the Bureau International des Expositions that the country’s southeastern port city of Busan « is ready » to host the World Expo in 2030.

During a private dinner he hosted in the evening, the president said South Korea and its port city Busan have the capacity to host the international event and that the delegation team are going to see that.

« The Busan World Expo will provide an opportunity to share our diverse experiences and strengths, seek solutions to the challenges faced by humanity and foster innovation, » he was quoted as saying at the dinner, which was held in the Sang Chun Jae, a wooden

pavilion used to host VIP guests at Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential office and residence. He also said Busan is city prepared to become a world-class maritime hub.

Responding to Yoon’s remarks, Patrick Specht, president of the BIE Administration and Budget Committee, said the delegation values « broad support » for the expo the most while expressing gratitude for the hospitality shown by the government, business and parliament.

He told the president that the team was impressed by the unanimous support from the National Assembly for the expo earlier in the day.

Patrick Specht (second from left), president of the BIE Administration and Budget Committee, and other delegation members visiting Korea for inspection of the 2030 World Expo receive their caricatures from Busan World Expo supporters as gifts prior to a business luncheon meeting held at a hotel in downtown Seoul on Monday. (Press corp)

Yoon was meeting the delegation as the team kicked off its field inspection of South

Korea’s bid to host the World Expo 2030 in Busan, a requirement for candidate countries to host the international exhibition.

The delegation is on a mission to evaluate the port city’s bid capacity, including its

transportation, accommodations, finances and level of preparation. Their findings will be compiled in a due diligence report that is expected to be completed by May. This report will serve as the basis for voting on the host country for the 2030 World Expo, which is scheduled to take place at the end of November this year.

The BIE delegation visits Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul on Monday night, listening to the guide’s explanation and viewing promotional materials. (Yonhap)

Busan is in competition with three other cities, including Rome, the Saudi capital of Riyadh, and the Ukrainian city of Odesa. The Expo is expected to run for six months, from May to the end of October 2030.

“All government agencies must make every effort to support the visiting schedule of the BIE inspection team,” said Yoon, presiding over a meeting of senior secretaries on

Monday morning.

During a Cabinet meeting on March 28, Yoon also emphasized that the World Expo will provide an opportunity for governments, businesses and citizens to exchange ideas and collaborate on global issues such as poverty, economic growth and climate change, ultimately leading to innovation. He encouraged his secretaries to adopt an attitude of « Expo salesmen » to promote and support Busan’s hosting of the event.

The delegation commenced their official inspection schedule on Monday in a meeting with Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang, who is responsible for the World Expo bid. At

the meeting, the ministry presented plans for utilizing cutting-edge technologies such as holograms and urban air mobility simulators to set the nation apart from its competitors.

Following this meeting, a business luncheon was hosted by Chey Tae-won, chair of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and co-chair of the bid committee. The delegation team also held meetings with Foreign Minister Park Jin, National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in the afternoon.

BIE delegation attends Q&A session during a meeting for the 2030 Busan World Expo in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)

According to the Foreign Ministry, Minister Park told the delegation that the Busan Expo serves as a platform to achieve the Korean government’s goal of becoming a pivotal state and enhancing its role and responsibilities within the international community. The BIE inspection team members reportedly expressed their appreciation for Minister Park’s presentation for providing answers to most of their questions.

In the evening, the team was set to attend the Busan Expo promotional event in

Gwanghwamun Plaza, which aims to showcase Korean citizens’ enthusiasm for hosting the World Expo.

The delegation will then travel to Busan on Tuesday and visit Eulsukdo Island Ecology Park to assess the realization of “Sustainable Living With Nature,” one of the main

themes of the 2030 Busan Expo. They will also have the opportunity to observe animals that have been reintroduced to their natural habitats after receiving treatment.

On Wednesday, the delegates are scheduled to visit the North Port, the main proposed site for the Busan World Expo. They will also tour the publicity hall and observatory inside the recently renovated Busan Passenger Terminal as part of the inspection.

The publicity hall will showcase a video combining dioramas and three-dimensional graphics, which is intended to provide the inspection team with a comprehensive understanding of both the current site and future plans if Busan is chosen as the host city.

President Yoon Suk Yeol takes a commemorative photo before a welcome dinner with the BIE delegation who visited Korea for an inspection of Busan, a candidate site for the 2030 World Expo, at Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential office and residence. (Yonhap)

The delegation will also have the opportunity to attend a range of cultural and experiential events during its visit.

On Wednesday evening, the delegates will attend “K-Culture Night” at the Busan

Cinema Center to experience various aspects of Korean culture. The following day, they will visit the United Nations Memorial Cemetery to understand the significance of

promoting world peace through the World Expo. Finally, on Thursday evening, they will conclude their visit by watching a fireworks show held at Gwangalli Beach.

The BIE categorizes expositions into two types: Recognized Expos and Registered Expos. The Registered Expo, also known as World Expo, is a massive event that showcases the host country’s capabilities and highlights global advancements in industry, science and technology. It serves as a platform for countries to exhibit their achievements and

promote cultural exchange, international cooperation and economic development.

South Korea has previously hosted two recognized Expos — at Daejeon in 1993 and at Yeosu in 2012. If selected, Korea will become the 12th country in the world and the fourth in Asia to host a World Expo.

The theme for Busan’s World Expo bid is “Transforming Our World, Navigating Towards a Better Future. » The theme acknowledges the need for fundamental transformation to

create a better future in light of various global crises, such as climate change, technological inequality and social polarization.

« Korea has a wealth of experience in hosting international events and is making extensive preparations for the successful hosting of the 2030 Busan World Expo, » the presidential office said. These preparations include constructing exhibition halls, expanding transportation infrastructure and providing a luxurious accommodation experience for guests.

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