Business titans head to Paris to support Expo bid

Industry

Published: 19 Jun. 2023, 19:02 Updated: 19 Jun. 2023, 19:26

Business titans head to Paris to support Expo bid

Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, left, and SK Inc. Chairman Chey Tae-won depart for Paris at Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center on Sunday afternoon to participate in the General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions. [KO SUK-HYUN]

The heads of Korea's largest corporations flew to Paris to land support for Busan's bid to host World Expo 2030, accompanying President Yoon Suk Yeol as a part of his business delegation.

The 205-member business delegation includes Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Inc. Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung and LG Corp Chairman Koo Kwang-mo. It is the largest business delegation to accompany Yoon so far.

Samsung’s Lee and SK’s Chey left for Paris on Sunday on their private jets from Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center. Lee was joined by president and corporation relations head Park Seung-hee and chief marketing officer Lee Young-hee. Chey was accompanied by Lee Hyung-hee, president of SK SUPEX Council’s communication committee.

Hyundai Motor’s Chung and LG’s Koo left for Paris early Monday morning.

“I wish the best for the Expo bid,” said Chey before departing for Paris. Chey is the private sector chair of the Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan.

Korea’s business tycoons will participate in the General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) and the welcome reception hosted by Korea scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The big business heads plan to roll out a full-fledged effort to attract the Busan Expo.

Samsung Electronics puts up a large-scale ad bearing a logo of Busan Expo on the wall of Opera Garnier in Paris. [NEWS1]

Samsung Electronics has been displaying a large-scale outdoor ad that bears the image of the 2030 World Expo Busan logo on the outside of the Opera Garnier building in Paris, where some 500,000 people gather on a daily basis.

It is also playing a promotional video for Busan's bid on large-scale LED advertisement boards installed on the exterior of various landmarks around the world, including Piccadilly Circus in London and the Entertainment Building in Hong Kong.

LG Group has set up some 110 advertisement boards supporting Busan's campaign at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Issy-les-Moulineaux, a southwestern neighborhood of Paris where the BIE general assembly will be held.

Hyundai Motor Group will dispatch 10 electric vehicles — Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and EV6 — festooned with the “BUSAN is READY!” logo near Paris tourist spots including Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum.

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, Hanjin Group Chairman Walter Cho and Hyosung Group Vice Chairman Cho Hyun-sang are also among the delegation.

Part of the delegation will take off to Vietnam on Thursday, accompanying President Yoon’s state visit. The delegation is expected to expand its business cooperation and investment opportunities with the Southeast Asian country.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]