Yoon: "Busan World Expo Bid as a National Task... Business Leaders and Government as One Team" (Comprehensive)

On the 22nd, Attended the '2030 Busan World Expo Bid Support Rally' in Busan
Chairman Choi: "Expo Bid is a Path to National Unity, a Foundation for Uniting Korea"
President-elect Meets with Chairman Choi Tae-won and Representatives of Top 10 Groups

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Hyung-gil] President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol held his first meeting with representatives of the top 10 conglomerates and other economic figures.

On the 22nd, President-elect Yoon attended the '2030 Busan World Expo Hosting Support Rally' held by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) at the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry building, encouraging the business community and requesting cooperation for hosting the World Expo in Busan.

The event was attended by more than 80 business leaders, including KCCI Chairman Chey Tae-won, chairmen of chambers of commerce nationwide, Samsung Electronics President Lee In-yong, Hyundai Motor President Gong Young-woon, SK SV Chairman Lee Hyung-hee, LG President Ha Beom-jong, Lotte Holdings Vice Chairman Lee Dong-woo, POSCO President Jung Tak, and Nexen Group Chairman Kang Byung-jung, representing the top 10 conglomerates.

From the National Assembly and the transition team, Lee Heon-seung, head of the Busan Expo TF team of the transition committee, Seo Byung-soo, chairman of the National Assembly's Expo Hosting Special Committee, Park Hyung-joon, Mayor of Busan, and Kim Young-joo, chairman of the Busan World Expo Hosting Committee, were present.

On this day, the president-elect proposed the joint chairmanship of the World Expo Hosting Committee to Chairman Chey, who readily accepted the proposal.

President-elect Yoon emphasized, "The 2030 Busan World Expo, as the Olympics of economy and culture, will elevate the nation's prestige and provide an opportunity for our companies to grow into larger global enterprises," adding, "We will establish a task force (TF) team within the transition committee to support the Expo hosting bid."

Chairman Chey stated, "The Busan World Expo will be a path to national unity and a cornerstone for uniting the Republic of Korea," and added, "We will leverage our global network to persuade member countries and connect with overseas local marketing channels to promote the Expo hosting worldwide."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Business leaders also agreed that "the 2030 Busan World Expo will be a turning point for the Korean economy's new leap forward," pledging to work wholeheartedly with the government to support the Expo bid. The president-elect and businesspeople nationwide held an event sending paper airplanes carrying their wishes for the Expo hosting.

The World Expo is considered one of the world's top three international events alongside the World Cup and the Olympics. The 2030 bidding countries include Busan, South Korea; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Rome, Italy; and Odesa, Ukraine. The final selection will be made through a vote by 170 member countries of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) in November next year.

The business community plans to mobilize the global networks of each company, actively utilizing overseas local sales networks and marketing channels to promote the Busan World Expo bid. The KCCI will also actively use its network of chambers of commerce in over 160 countries, serving as the vanguard of economic diplomacy by linking with various global business forums to win the votes of member countries.

Additionally, the KCCI held its first nationwide chambers of commerce chairmen meeting since Chairman Chey took office. It was the first such meeting in three years since the COVID-19 pandemic. Chairman Chey shared with the chairmen new key projects such as communication platforms, national development projects, and new entrepreneurship initiatives.

Regional chamber chairmen voiced concerns about regional extinction, regulations, and labor burdens. One local chamber chairman said, "We need countermeasures against regional extinction. Please provide incentives to companies located in local areas to strengthen regional competitiveness." Another regional chairman said, "Labor difficulties are greatest due to the Serious Accident Punishment Act, the 52-hour workweek, and skilled labor shortages caused by low birth rates," and requested improvements in labor market flexibility.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.