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Busan's fierce but futile campaign for Expo 2030 [REWIND 2023]

Published: 24 Dec. 2023, 08:00 Updated: 25 Dec. 2023, 15:16

SARAH KIM
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Residents of Busan express their disappointment after the port city’s defeat by Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh in a secret ballot in Paris on Nov. 28, dashing Korea’s hope to host the World Expo in 2030. People gathered in Busan Citizen’s Hall in Dong District to watch the voting process of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) general assembly in France. [YONHAP]

Despite Korea's best efforts, Busan was defeated by Saudi Arabia's Riyadh in a fierce three-way race to host the 2030 World Expo. On Nov. 28, members of the Paris-headquartered Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the 182-member international body that oversees the World Expo, held a secret ballot that resulted in Riyadh's resounding victory with 119 votes, trouncing Busan's 29 and Rome's 17 votes.

Over the past year and a half, Korea's public and private sectors, including the president, government officials and business leaders, traveled 495 laps around the globe — a total distance of 19,891,579 kilometers (12.3 million miles) — to promote Busan's bid. While Busan was a latecomer to the Expo bid, a joint private-public committee led by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won launched in July 2022 conducted an intense diplomatic campaign to promote the southern port city under the slogan, "One Team Korea."

However, the final vote fell short of Korea's expectations of a runoff race with Saudi Arabia. President Yoon Suk Yeol publicly apologized to the nation, blaming the country's failed bid on his own shortcomings. As Busan was looking forward to an economic boost and job opportunities through the Expo, the Korean government promised to follow through on pledges made during the bid campaign to carry out large-scale infrastructure projects in Busan.