President Yoon Suk Yeol (left) on April 6 talks to Patrick Specht (fourth from left), head of a visiting delegation from the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) and chairman of the BIE's Administration and Budget Committee, and group members during their farewell dinner at Nurimaru APEC House in Busan. (Jeon Han)

By Park Hye Ri

President Yoon Suk Yeol on the afternoon of April 6 made a surprise visit to the farewell dinner for a visiting delegation from the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) at Nurimaru APEC House in Busan, presidential spokesperson Lee Do Woon said in a news release.

This was the first time for the president, staff from the Office of the President, Cabinet members including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, and mayors and governors of the nation's 17 cities and provinces to gather at a single event, the spokesperson added.

  
Introducing the heads of each city and province, President Yoon said, "Supporting Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo was the main topic in today's meeting of central and provincial government cooperation councils from the nation's 17 cities and provinces." 

"The central and local governments, ruling and opposition parties, and public and private sectors all fully support Busan's World Expo bid."

"The venue for today's dinner, where the 13th APEC Summit was held in 2005, is considered one of the most scenic places among all past summit venues," he added. "This directly shows Busan's capacity to host large-scale international events." 

Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon said, "Today's menu is the same as that served at the APEC Summit," to which President Yoon responded by saying, "We'll serve a menu better than that during the APEC Summit." 

BIE delegation chief Patrick Specht at the dinner said the inspection schedule was "overwhelmingly amazing," adding, "Busan has everything it takes to host the World Expo."

A Cabinet minister who attended the dinner said BIE inspectors mostly said things like "amazing," "overwhelming" and "Busan has everything" when speaking to them.

"In Korea, a traditional saying goes that releasing an animal will cure a sick family member," President Yoon said. "I pray that the delegation completes its inspection in good condition."

President Yoon Suk Yeol (center) on April 6 chairs the fourth meeting of central and local government cooperation councils at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center, or BEXCO, in Busan's Haeundae-gu District. (Office of the President)

Before the dinner, he presided over the fourth meeting of central and local government cooperation councils at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center, or BEXCO, in Busan, to mark the last day of the delegation's visit to the port city. 

"Landing the 2030 World Expo 2030 isn't only for Busan," the president said at the meeting. "It's also for the Republic of Korea and its cities and provinces."

"The central and local governments gathered in Busan as 'one team' to support the bid for the Busan Expo," he added. "Attracting the World Expo to Busan is an absolutely necessary task that will play the role of tow truck for balanced regional development and taking a major leap toward becoming a global pivotal state."

hrhr@korea.kr