Lawmakers pass resolution to support expo bid

Politics

Published: 03 Apr. 2023, 18:03

Lawmakers pass resolution to support expo bid

President of the BIE's Administration and Budget Committee, Patrick Specht, center right, holds up the Korean National Assembly’s resolution that promises the Korean legislative body’s full commitment in supporting the successful hosting of the World Expo 2030 if Busan is picked, with National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo in Yeouido, Seoul, on Monday. [YONHAP]

Political parties have set aside their differences in hopes of helping Busan win its bid to host World Expo 2030.

The 239 lawmakers present at Monday's plenary session of the National Assembly approved a parliamentary resolution to support Busan's bid to host World Expo 2030.

“World Expo 2030 Busan will provide us with the opportunity to share our socio-economic development experience with the international community and play a leading role in key global agenda including climate change, digital transformation and social polarization,” the resolution stated. “It will also serve to broaden Korea’s economic and diplomatic horizons and raise the country’s profile further as a leader in the global community.”

The National Assembly lawmakers said if Busan is picked to host the expo in November, they will fully commitment to the successful hosting of the event through legislation by passing the “Special Act on Supporting World Expo 2030 Busan.”

The resolution reiterated the National Assembly's “full commitment to organizational, financial and institutional support to be required for the successful organization of the World Expo" as demonstrated in legislative measures to support previous major international events, including the "Act on Supporting the Seoul Olympic Organizing Committee" and "Act on Supporting the 2022 FIFA World Cup."

The lawmakers said they will cooperate “actively” to enhance visitors’ access and convenience, including building transportation infrastructure and improving the area around the venue.

The National Assembly raised the importance of the World Expo, stressing that it is the biggest global event for which Korea has vied in the last 10 or 20 years.

It noted the larger influence it has economically, culturally and diplomatically compared to other major global events such as the Olympics or World Cup.

But most of all, lawmakers cited the importance of the World Expo in contributing to the nation’s balanced growth as the World Expo will serve as a catalyst in establishing a megacity in South Gyeongsang, where major cities like Busan and Ulsan are located.

The National Assembly also declared its bipartisan “active participation in the effort to win the support of BIE Member States” as a member of the “Korea One Team” along with the government and the private sector by encouraging lawmakers to "use their full diplomatic capabilities until the election of the host country in late November this year."

“The 2030 World Expo will be a great success if Busan wins the bidding race, given Korea’s differentiated competitiveness including its capability as an industrial and cultural powerhouse, extensive experience in hosting international events, Busan’s outstanding transportation, accommodations and tourism infrastructure and the Korean people’s strong aspiration for winning the bid,” the resolution stated.

An evaluation team from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) that arrived in Seoul on Sunday began its official schedule Monday.

The team visited Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh and Ukraine’s Odessa in March, After Busan, the team will visit its final destination, Rome, on April 17.

If Korea wins the bid, it will be the seventh country in the world to have hosted three major global events: the World Expo, Olympic Games and the World Cup.

While Korea has hosted two “recognized” expos, it has yet to host a “registered” expo.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]