Disappointment, disbelief in Busan as expo hopes dashed

Home > National > Social Affairs

Disappointment, disbelief in Busan as expo hopes dashed

Published: 29 Nov. 2023, 16:31 Updated: 29 Nov. 2023, 16:45

LEE SOO-JUNG
[email protected]

Busan citizens gathered at a pep rally at Busan Citizens' Hall burst into tears after the city lost its bid to host World Expo 2030 on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

“Riyadh.”

The crowd of 1,500 at the pep rally in Busan Citizen's Hall’s grand theater went silent when the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) finally called the name of the Saudi capital at around 1:20 a.m. on Wednesday.

The decision to award World Expo 2030 to Saudi Arabia disappointed Busan residents who hoped for Team Korea’s victory.

The crowd stared vacantly at the giant screen after the final vote tally was announced.

Their cheers ended. Anticipation had turned into disappointment.

A man at the pep rally looks at the screen broadcasting the final decision confirming Riyadh as the host of World Expo 2030. [NEWS1]

Heavy sighs of “We can't believe it” emerged throughout the crowd.

People could not hide their long faces. Their hands were inert, their cheering flags and LED light-up fans still.

“We thought Team Korea could turn the tables at the very last minute,” said one person in the crowd, a 43-year-old woman. “The result is bitter. But, at least, countless people put their all-out effort and did their best during the bidding period, so there will be no regret.”

The rally started at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, five hours and 40 minutes before the final voting at the BIE's 173rd general assembly.

The audience started to arrive at the theater around 6 p.m. The theater was soon filled with thousands of people shouting and cheering slogans like “Busan Expo! Host it!” “Are you Ready? Ready!” and, “Today, it is Busan.”

Busan Metropolitan Chorus kicked off the rally.

The cheers climaxed when former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pitched Busan's fifth and final presentation at 10:50 p.m.

Busan residents kept hope alive until the last vote was counted.

“I expected a lot after hearing Team Korea was close to catching Saudi Arabia in the final stage, so our defeat was extremely disappointing,” a resident of Busan's Haeundae District said.

“It is discouraging to see Busan’s failure because it would have created more jobs and revitalized the regional economy if we won,” said another city resident, a young woman in her 30s.

BY AH DAE-HUN, WE SUNG-WOOK, LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]