President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee on Nov. 23 arrive at Paris-Orly Airport in the French capital to present his final pitch for Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo. (Yonhap News)
By Lee Kyoung Mi
President Yoon Suk Yeol on Nov. 23 arrived in Paris after finishing his state visit to the U.K. to make his final pitch for Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo.
In a news release, presidential spokesperson Lee Do Woon that day said President Yoon asked for support for the campaign at an invitational dinner for delegations from the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) in downtown Paris.
"Korea intends to responsibly contribute to the international community by hosting the Busan Expo," President Yoon said in a speech at the event. "This will be a culture expo featuring a platform for sharing what we have and showing the unique culture and traditions of every participating country."
He also mentioned the "Miracle on the Hangang River," referring to Korea's rapid economic and cultural development the Korean War.
"Through the 'Busan Initiative,' we will share our developmental experience with the international community and take the lead in jointly tackling the challenges faced by humanity like the climate crisis and the 'Global South' (a collective term for emerging and developing economies mainly in the Southern Hemisphere)."
"The Busan Expo is a meeting place for connecting future generations of humanity in which youth taking on new dreams and opportunities will exchange inspiration with one other," he added. "We look forward to meeting you again at the Busan Expo, which will provide the largest support package in history."
President Yoon will stay in Paris until Nov. 25 to present his final case for Busan's bid to the end through one-on-one diplomacy at a luncheon for BIE representatives.
At its general assembly on Nov. 28 in the French capital, the BIE will announce the 2030 event's host city from among the three contenders of Busan, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Rome.
km137426@korea.kr
