Yoon Suk Yeol makes final pitch for Busan Expo in summit with Emmanuel Macron

Diplomacy

Published: 24 Nov. 2023, 17:55

Yoon Suk Yeol makes final pitch for Busan Expo in summit with Emmanuel Macron

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and French President Emmanuel Macron shake hands ahead of a bilateral summit in Paris on Friday. Yoon’s three-day trip to France comes as he is making final efforts to drum up support for hosting the World Expo 2030 in Busan. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held a bilateral summit with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday as a part of his all-out efforts to make a final pitch for hosting the World Expo 2030 in Busan.

Yoon's three-day trip to France comes as the 182 members of the Paris-headquartered Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the international body in charge of overseeing the World Expo, will secretly cast their ballots in a general assembly on Nov. 28 to choose the 2030 host city.

Yoon and Macron held a breakfast meeting as an opportunity to explore bilateral relations in the economic field, science and technology and the direction for cooperation toward a better future, according to the presidential office.

An official said the talks were expected to be more "intimate" because they were held over breakfast.

Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee arrived in Paris late Thursday as the second leg of a weeklong Europe tour following a four-day state visit to Britain.

Yoon's return to Paris comes after just five months, when he held a bilateral summit and joint press conference with Macron on June 20 alongside meetings with BIE members.

During the latest Paris trip, Yoon will have various opportunities to meet with BIE representatives from each member country to appeal in person the shared advantages of holding the World Expo in Busan. This includes through luncheon and dinner meetings at the Korea National Day Reception for BIE representatives on Friday, joined by Korean business leaders.

On Thursday evening, Yoon attended a dinner event for members of the diplomatic corps in Paris and BIE delegates to drum up support for Busan.

He shared that Korea "intends to make a responsible contribution to the international community by hosting the 2030 Busan World Expo," said Lee Do-hoon, the presidential spokesman, in a statement on Friday.

"Through the 'Busan Initiative,' Korea will share its development experience with the international community and work together to address the challenges facing humanity, such as the climate crisis and Global South issues," Yoon said.

Yoon further pledged the "largest aid package ever" on the occasion of a Busan Expo.

He emphasized Busan could become a platform for solidarity for each country to showcase their cultures and traditions.

"Young people taking on new dreams and opportunities will share inspiration with each other," Yoon said.

Officials at the Korean dinner banquet Thursday said they were "touched" to see the president's physical communication and contact, and "impressed to see the government and private sector working together as a team," in efforts to host the Expo, Lee said.

In June, Yoon gave an English-language speech at the fourth presentation of the BIE general assembly in Paris, taking part in Busan promotion efforts in person alongside field experts and Korean singer Psy, famous for his 2012 song "Gangnam Style."

"Rather than being a stage for competition to show off our status, it will be an all-out effort to promote Busan as a communication expo, where all participants can freely showcase their unique culture and traditions, and as a venue that connects the future and present generations," Kim Eun-hye, senior presidential secretary for press affairs, said Friday.

Korea's Busan is in a fierce three-way race against Saudi Arabia's Riyadh and Italy's Rome.

The BIE stipulates that a country must gather two-thirds of the votes cast to win the election if there are more than two candidates. If none of the three candidates earns two-thirds of the votes cast in the first round, the third-place candidate is eliminated and the two leading candidates will move onto a second round of voting.

Many observers point to a high likelihood that the three-way vote could lead to a runoff race, likely between Korea and Saudi Arabia.

In the case of a runoff, the host country can be elected by a simple majority.

On the day of the general assembly, a fifth and final 20-minute presentation will be made by the competitors in a last appeal to host the World Expo.

Government officials revealed earlier this week that in the ballot, Busan is candidate "No. 1," Rome "No. 2" and Riyadh "No. 3."

Korea's government and business leaders in turn have been promoting "Busan is No. 1" in the final days until the vote.

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