BIE delegation takes in North Port, proposed 2030 expo site

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BIE delegation takes in North Port, proposed 2030 expo site

Published: 05 Apr. 2023, 18:30 Updated: 06 Apr. 2023, 17:19

A Bureau International des Expositions delegation and Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon pose with an urban air mobility (UAM) vehicle after having a virtual tour of the North Port on Wednesday at the Busan Port International Exhibition & Convention Center. [YONHAP]

BUSAN — A Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) delegation held an on-site inspection Wednesday around North Port, Busan, the proposed venue for World Expo 2030 and reviewed the city's capabilities to make the event happen.

Korea delivered its third and penultimate presentation to the BIE team Wednesday, which is considered the most important of the four to be given, as it includes detailed plans about the expo site, hall, visitors and transportation in the North Port area.

The presentation, under the theme of "city and site," was hosted by Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, who spoke about Busan's strength including its site and transportation.

Professor Chin Yang-kyo, who is the master architect of the Expo's landscape, explained the overall concept and key strategy of the venue including the exhibition hall, while Shin Chae-hyun, Busan's ambassador for international relations, talked about the expected number of visitors and their stays in the city.

The BIE delegation takes a virtual tour of the North Port, the proposed venue for World Expo 2030, and learns how it will change in the future on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

A virtual tour of North Port, once the country’s main port, was followed with information about how it will look in 2030 as the Busan Metropolitan Government has been undertaking a 7.2 trillion won ($5.5 billion), two-stage project to redevelop the area, which includes a floating city and 1.98 million-square-meter exhibition zone.

Wearing virtual reality headsets, the eight members of the delegation took a simulated flight in an urban air mobility (UAM) vehicle, also known as a flying taxi, for around 3 minutes. The UAM is developed by SK Telecom and is to be marketed from 2025.

Hydrogen-powered trams and amphibious buses will be the main modes of transportation at the expo site.

“There will be no more traffic jams then,” Patrick Specht, president of the BIE's Administration and Budget Committee, said.

The delegation then asked a barrage of questions, mostly technical, such as the charging time and the mileage of the flying taxi on a single charge.

“The delegation generally liked the tour and asked many technical questions, like how a UAM is different from a helicopter,” said Won Dong-geun, a manager at SK Telecom’s UAM division, who gave a briefing before the delegation got into the vehicle for the virtual flight.

“The four-dimensional content would have made them feel they are on the real flying taxi, and they were able to actually see what they heard from the presentation on Busan’s regeneration plan,” Won added.

Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, right, walks with Patrick Specht, president of the BIE's Administration and Budget Committee, at the Busan Port International Exhibition & Convention Center (BPEX) on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

The delegation was escorted to a theater to watch more videos on the North Port’s redevelopment project, then to an observation deck to actually see the site.

Despite heavy wind and rain, they had a view of Busan Bridge. Cho Yoo-jang, head of the World Expo 2030 Busan Bid Committee, gave a five-minute presentation on the sites that are undergoing construction.

On the right side, the first-stage construction was underway, which includes an opera house and the country’s marine sports facilities. The construction is set to be completed within the year.

A large part of land and sea was shown on the left side, which will be used in the second stage of development that will start following the announcement of the World Expo 2030 host country in November this year.

By 2028, a prototype of a floating community will also be built on the southeast coast near the North Port. It will consist of interconnected, modular platforms powered by renewable energy.

Constructed in 1876, the North Port was used to transfer looted goods to Japan during Japan's colonial rule of Korea. Then it served as a key supply base for UN forces during the Korean War.

In 1978, a container port was developed. It once controlled 90 percent of the country’s logistics and became the world’s fifth-largest port.

But it gradually lost ground after the New Port opened in 2006. The city government kicked off a two-stage redevelopment project at the 3.83-square-kilometer site in 2008.

After the tour of the proposed venue, the delegation held a luncheon with a group of Busan residents, including Park Jae-yul, head of a Busan citizens' committee for the 2030 Busan World Expo, and Busan city officials.

Milmyeon, a cold wheat-noodle dish much loved in Busan, was served, along with Chapaguri, a popular blend of Chapaghetti and Neoguri, both Nongshim-made noodles.

Chapaguri gained attention and global popularity after it was featured in Oscar-winning "Parasite" (2019).

The BIE delegation looks around the expo site at an observation deck on the fifth floor of the BPEX on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

A brief 30-minute meeting with Cho Seung-hwan, minister of Oceans and Fisheries, followed.

The delegation then left for a K-Culture Night at Busan Cinema Center in eastern Busan and watched performances by Korean artists.

Busan Cinema Center is where the Busan International Film Festival takes place annually. Every October, cinephiles from around the world flock to the center for Asia's largest film festival.

The event included performances by Oh My Girl and the Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra playing some original soundtracks from movies including “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961) and “Pirates of the Caribbean” film series.

Soprano Jo Su-mi performed “Je Veux Vivre” from “Romeo and Juliet,” and “We Will Be One,” the promotional song for Busan and its bid to host the expo.

On Thursday, Busan is set to deliver its fourth and final presentation. The BIE team will then tour the UN Memorial Cemetery and head to Gwagalli Beach for a big fireworks festival to signal the end of the trip.

The delegation is to leave Korea Friday.

The BIE delegation looks around the expo site at an observation deck on the fifth floor of the BPEX on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

It will complete a report on Busan's proposal in May and share the result with the 171 BIE member countries during the first biannual general assembly in June. The final decision will be made in November by a secret ballot.

The BIE delegation visited Saudi Arabia's Riyadh in March before arriving in Busan. Rome is the last city the team will visit, 10 days after leaving Busan.

Korea has hosted the smaller "recognized expos" twice — Daejeon Expo in 1993 and Yeosu Expo in 2012.

If Busan wins the bid to host the World Expo, it will be the seventh country that has hosted the "big three" global events: Olympic Games, World Cup and World Expo.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]