Gov't pledges to keep its domestic, international promises despite failed expo bid

Politics

Published: 29 Nov. 2023, 19:11 Updated: 29 Nov. 2023, 19:43

Gov't pledges to keep its domestic, international promises despite failed expo bid

An image of the planned new airport on Gadeok Island in Busan projected to be completed by the end of 2029. [BUSAN METROPOLITAN CITY]

Despite Busan's failure to secure a 2030 World Expo victory, the Korean government promised on Wednesday to proceed with the aid and infrastructure projects promised during the campaigning process.

While Korea gave its best shot in its private-public campaigning efforts over the past year and a half to promote Busan, Saudi Arabia's Riyadh was selected as the host city of the 2030 World Expo on Tuesday in Paris.

In an electronic secret ballot at the 173rd general assembly of the Paris-headquartered Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the 182-member international body that oversees the World Expo, Riyadh won a two-thirds majority with 119 votes, beating Busan's 29 and Rome's 17 votes by a wider-than-expected margin.

Less than two hours after the defeat, the presidential office on Wednesday thanked the Korean people, especially Busan residents, for their unrelenting support in the long campaign to host the 2030 World Expo despite disappointing results.

"Although the public and private sectors worked hard as one team, we met disappointing results," Kim Eun-hye, senior presidential secretary for public relations, said in a statement Wednesday. "We would like to express our consolation and gratitude to the residents of Busan and Korean people who waited until late at night for the results and supported Busan's bid."

The People Power Party (PPP), in turn, is paying close attention to the impact of the defeat on public sentiment ahead of next year's general elections, especially in the so-called PK region, referring to the Busan and South Gyeongsang area. This conservative stronghold has shown more electoral unpredictability in recent years.

The PPP already tasted defeat in Seoul when the Democratic Party (DP) candidate won a pivotal by-election to head the city's Gangseo District Office in October, a race seen to gauge voter sentiment in the metropolitan area ahead of next April's parliamentary election.

The Busan Metropolitan City acknowledged concerns that infrastructure projects, including construction of roads, railways, and an airport, pledged in anticipation of the World Expo bid, would fizzle or face delays following the BIE defeat.

Infrastructure plans linked to the World Expo included building a new, 13 trillion-won ($10 billion) airport on Busan's Gadeok Island by December 2029, five years earlier than initially planned.

Another was the development of Busan's historic North Port area, which had been named as the venue to hold the Expo, with the city hoping for an economic effect of 5 trillion won and 18,000 new jobs.

President Yoon Suk Yeol apologized to the public Wednesday, taking the blame for the Expo bid defeat while promising continued commitment to achieving balanced regional development.

Yoon stressed his intention to continue to build infrastructure without disruptions and develop the traditionally conservative southeastern Yeongnam and liberal southwestern Honam regions.

He called for national development with Seoul and Busan as the axis, noting that Busan would "serve as the base in the southern region," promising that "all economic and industrial activities would proceed without a hitch."

Some PPP and DP lawmakers traded barbs over who was to blame for the failed Expo bid, with several DP representatives accusing the administration of diplomatic miscalculations. Still, both parties expressed intentions to proceed along with planned projects.

Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the liberal DP, said Wednesday, "Although we failed to host the Expo, the DP will do its best to ensure that the remaining pending projects, such as the new Gadeok Island airport and expansions of metropolitan transportation, can develop without disruptions."

Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, center, speaks to reporters Tuesday after Busan was defeated by Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh in its bid to host the 2030 World Expo at the 173rd general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions in Paris, accompanied by Busan Mayor Park Park Heong-joon, left. [PRIME MINISTER'S SECRETARIAT]

Korea's public and private sectors traveled 495 laps around the globe, or a total distance of 19,891,579 kilometers, to promote Busan's bid between July 8, 2022, and the final vote.

Government officials, including President Yoon, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, ministers and presidential envoys traveled 9,768,194 kilometers, or 243 laps, and business executives representing 13 companies traveled 10,123,385 kilometers, or 252 times around the Earth.

However, Busan faced fierce competitors: Riyadh, a modern metropolis in the middle of the desert, and Rome, a world-renowned tourist destination filled with ancient, medieval and contemporary attractions.

Riyadh, from the get-go, has been mentioned as the forerunner with its strong promotion activities, backed by oil money and promises of large investments.

Korea, who was late to the expo campaign, had hoped for a scenario in which Busan advanced to a runoff race with Riyadh if one country failed to garner a two-thirds majority in the first round of voting.

Immediately after the voting results were announced, Prime Minister Han told reporters in a press conference in Paris, "I feel regret and a heavy sense of responsibility for not meeting the people's expectations."

He said he is "very sorry for not being able to respond to the support of the people fully."

Expressing gratitude for the support of the business community, politicians and people who have supported Busan's Expo bid, he said, "We humbly accept the result and will continue to develop the diplomatic assets we have accumulated while traveling to 182 countries."

"Despite difficult conditions, the people of Busan warmly welcomed the visit of the BIE inspection team and worked together as one," Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon told reporters. "My heart feels heavy because the dreams of Busan citizens have been shattered."

While disappointed by the large vote margin, Korean government officials said One Team Korea gave its best shot, uniting the public and private sectors and garnering bipartisan support for Busan's bid.

Mayor Park and others pointed out there is always another shot for hosting a World Expo in 2035 or in the future, now that Busan has already gotten its name out there.

In a statement Wednesday, the Korean government expressed its gratitude to the member countries for supporting Busan and said it would continue to implement "without a hitch" the international cooperation programs pledged during the World Expo campaigning.

Ahead of the vote, Team Korea united to give a fifth and final presentation at the BIE General Assembly alongside Italy and Saudi Arabia.

Korea's five presenters were Busan Mayor Park, Rah Seung-yeon, a former spokesperson for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics Bidding Committee, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who doubles as the head of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Prime Minister Han and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The presentation focused on how Busan, representative of South Korea's rapid economic growth after the devastating 1950—53 Korean War, intends to give back to the international community as a country that transformed from a recipient of aid to a donor country.

Colin Thackery, a 93-year-old British veteran of the Korean War and a winner of "Britain's Got Talent" in 2019, also appeared in a video during the presentation supporting Busan.

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