Yoon says Busan is ‘ready’ to hold best World Expo at BIE assembly

Diplomacy

Published: 21 Jun. 2023, 00:12 Updated: 23 Jun. 2023, 14:02

Yoon says Busan is ‘ready’ to hold best World Expo at BIE assembly

President Yoon Suk Yeol gives an English-language speech at a presentation by the Korean delegation promoting Busan’s 2030 World Expo bid at the 172nd general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, Tuesday. [NEWS1]

PARIS — President Yoon Suk Yeol said that Korea is "ready" to share its experiences and give back to the international community in an English-language speech in Paris promoting Busan's 2030 World Expo bid on Tuesday.

Yoon's trip to France came as he attended the 172nd general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) to give an English-language speech promoting Busan's bid to host the World Expo.

"Through the 'Busan Initiative,' Korea will share its development experiences with the international community," Yoon said at the assembly. "Korea will lead in tackling humanity's challenges."

Yoon was the last speaker of four during the 30-minute presentation by the Korean delegation, alongside other notable presenters such as Korean singer Psy, also known as Park Jai-sang, founder of entertainment agency P Nation.

This marks the fourth out of five rounds of presentations, with the Paris-based 179-member BIE, the intergovernmental organization founded in 1928 that oversees the World Expo, set to make a final selection by secret ballot in November.

President Yoon Suk Yeol gives an English-language speech promoting Busan’s 2030 World Expo bid at the 172nd general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, Tuesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

"To address humanity's urgent challenges, we must act now," Yoon said. "Busan is a gateway to the Eurasian continent."

Such issues threatening world peace and civilization include war and conflict, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, climate change, digital divide and economic inequality endangering sustainable peace and growth of the international community.

Busan is a "city of the future," Yoon said, that will become a "solutions platform addressing humanity's complex and urgent challenges" and a venue that can create new business opportunities.

Yoon stressed Korea is fulfilling 1,258 official development assistance (ODA) projects with BIE member states, recalling the country's own recovery process after the devastating 1950-53 Korean War.

"Thanks to the help of the international community, Korea transformed itself into an economic powerhouse full of high-tech industries and innovative technologies," Yoon said. "Korea wishes to give back to the international community what it has received thus far."

He added that Korea is committed to providing its largest-ever assistance package for more than 110 member states.

He further stressed that Busan envisions an Expo passing on a "clean and safe earth, and sustainable peace and prosperity to future generations."

Korea previously hosted other large-scale events including the 1988 Summer Olympics, the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2018 Winter Olympics.

"Central and local governments, companies and citizens, all political parties, and more than 7.5 million overseas Koreans are truly united in their wish for the Busan Expo," Yoon said, emphasizing that Korea is a "qualified" candidate that is fully invested in preparations to make "the best World Expo of all time."

Korea is competing for the 2030 World Expo bid against Saudi Arabia's Riyadh and Italy's Rome.

The Saudi Arabian and Italian delegations also gave presentations on their bids.

Recalling past landmark expos, Yoon said that a 2030 World Expo hosted by Busan, "will be remembered as one shifting our priority from competition to solidarity."

"Busan is ready," Yoon said. "We are united. Let's transform our world and navigate toward a better future."

Other presenters also highlighted Korea's culture and K-pop, and its desire to share its experiences and advanced technologies with the world.

Each of the three other speakers stressed a different aspect of Busan's bid, including Korean culture's global reach, the sustainability of the venue and bridging the digital divide through technology.

Korean singer Psy, or Park Jai-sang, speaks at a presentation promoting Busan’s 2030 World Expo bid at the 172nd general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, Tuesday. [NEWS1]

Psy, the first speaker of the Korean presentation, highlighted that a World Expo in Busan will "showcase the transformative power of our culture and technology."

Psy took part in a flash mob with 20,000 people performing his hit song "Gangnam Style" in Trocadéro Square, facing the Eiffel Tower in 2012, which he said showed the power of K-pop to bring together people globally as one.

"As a musician, I've experienced that K-pop has the power to unite, transform and transcend boundaries," Psy said. "And just like that performance, I believe World Expo 2030 Busan will unite us all!"

Recalling his own unconventional rise to fame, he noted Korea embraces a culture that values freedom, which has also allowed K-pop, K-cinema and K-drama to reach fans globally.

He likened Koreans' penchant to mix different genres and create something unique to its best-known dish, bibimbap, or rice mixed with vegetables.

"We'll share our journey, our growth and our vision for a sustainable future," Park said.

Park closed his speech donning sunglasses and with a pose from the dance of his hit song, earning a cheer from the attendees.

The other expert speakers were Lee Soo-inn, co-founder and CEO of Enuma, an education technology company that develops early education applications including digital learning solutions for children, and Chin Yang-kyo, chief architect of the proposed World Expo site in Busan.

"Our expo vision is inspired by the long-standing Korean tradition of harmonizing nature, humanity, and technology," Cho said, highlighting hanok, or traditional Korean-style homes, is built with natural materials such as soil, wood and stone.

He recalled that the North Port of Busan used to be a busy international seaport before falling into disuse with the rise of new industries, which Korea plans to repurpose even after the World Expo ends.

"Our plan is to turn these remains of old industrialization into a space for sustainable life where nature, humanity and technology coexist in harmony, a site of great transformation where we'll share our vision for a new earth," Cho said, embodying the key themes of the World Expo, an "eco-friendly, carbon-neutral space."

Cho said that the expo site will be powered 100 percent by green energy and that all structures will be built using as many sustainable materials as possible and that transportation will encompass eco-friendly mobility, like urban air mobility and hydrogen vehicles.

He added that the legacy of the collaboration will not simply disappear when the Expo closes, noting that the repurposed silo in the North Port will become the "Expo Big Data Silo" to preserve the history and data of the World Expo spanning 180 years and an ODA Memorial Hall on human solidarity.

Lee underscored that Korea's Busan Initiative is about engaging in various global challenges, including sharing Korea's green technologies to combat the climate crisis and implementing IT innovations to enhance the global digital environment.

Lee said that a World Expo hosted in Busan could become "a symbol of global partnership" to help future generations "unlock their boundless potential."

Karina, leader of K-pop girl group aespa, appears in a video introducing Busan's World Expo bid at the 172nd general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris Tuesday. [NEWS1]

Karina, leader of K-pop group aespa, appeared in a video introducing Korea's World Expo bid, while renowned soprano Sumi Jo, took part in a music video with the theme song, "We will be one," accompanied by a children's choir.

In July last year, aespa, known as the "metaverse girl group," gave a speech on the theme "Next Generation to the Next Level" at the 2022 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at the United Nations in New York.

Jo is the first Asian prima donna to perform at the world's five largest opera theaters, including La Scala in Milan, Opera Bastille in Paris and Metropolitan Opera in New York before she reached the age of 30 and is a public relations ambassador for Busan's World Expo bid.

On Monday afternoon, Yoon and first lady Kim Keon-hee arrived in Paris as a part of a two-country, six-day trip that will also take them to Vietnam for a state visit later in the week.

Yoon also held a bilateral summit with French President Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace in Paris earlier Tuesday to discuss security and economic matters, including North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and human rights situation.

On Wednesday, Yoon attended the official World Expo reception hosted by Korea to rally support from foreign delegations.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]