From left, Head of the Planning and Management Office for the Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan Yoon Sanghyuk, the Committee’s Secretary-General Park Jungwook and the Director General of the Tourism & MICE Industry Bureau at the Busan Metropolitan Government Cho You-jang speak at a June 9 press conference in the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, central Seoul. Courtesy of the Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan   

The Bid Committee for World EXPO 2030 Busan is gearing up to bring that international showcase to the nation’s second largest city. Its campaign will emphasize the opportunity to display Korea’s smart, innovative technology and its resultant capacity as an economic powerhouse.

Under the theme “Transforming Our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future,” the bid committee shared its Expo 2030 candidature presentation and plans to discuss such topics as inequality, climate change and the digital divide.

“The World Expo is an economic and cultural Olympics where (countries) collectively present the achievements that humanity has accomplished and share solutions and the keys to common challenges currently facing all countries,” Park Jungwook, secretary-general of the bid committee, said during a press conference, held at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, central Seoul on June 9.

“Korea was a beneficiary of foreign aid as one of the poorest countries in the 1950s, but has become a donor country in just around 50 years and grown into a country with one of the largest economies in the world,” he said.

“In that process, Busan took in millions of refugees during the Korean War and has played a crucial role in leading Korea’s economic development, enduring the aftermath of the War. And with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Busan has announced such initiatives as Busan Eco Delta Smart City – a smart city project – and a blockchain special zone. It also has become a Hallyu hub, attracting over 40 million visitors.”

The committee emphasized Korea’s experience as a host country for major international events like the 1988 Summer Olympics, 2002 World Cup, 2018 Winter Olympics and the 1993 and 2012 expositions in Daejeon and Yeosu.

It also highlighted Busan’s ability to share economic development experience gained after the Korean War – in line with the Expo’s overall theme – as well as unique cultural attractions that contribute to the global phenomenon of K-content.

Director General Cho You-jang of Busan’s Tourism & MICE Industry Bureau said the city intends to include a prototype of a sustainable floating city as part of the fair if selected to host the event.

If the bid is successful, World Expo 2030 Busan will take place in the city’s North Port area from May through October that year. It is expected to attract around 34.8 million visitors and generate up to 61 trillion won (US$47.7 billion) in economic effects.

Busan is competing with three other cities – Rome, Italy; Odesa, Ukraine; and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – following the withdrawal of Moscow’s nomination this May, due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Busan submitted its official bid in June 2021 and formed the bid committee the following month. The committee completed the second round of candidature presentations this month and is expected to present a candidature dossier to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in September.

The Yoon Suk Yeol Administration has selected World Expo 2030 Busan as one of its national policy tasks, showing support and encouraging cooperation from government bodies, the private sector and civic groups.

The election for the host country will be held in November or December next year.

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