Kia President Song Hoseong Departs... Hyundai Motor Group Engages in Busan Expo Bid Activities in Africa

First Foreign Minister Business Envoy Visits Three Countries

Song Hoseong, President of Kia

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] Hyundai Motor Group is expanding its support scope to Africa for the bid to host the '2030 Busan World Expo.'

Hyundai Motor Group announced that Kia President Song Hoseong will depart for Africa on the 18th as a special envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and a business representative to support the Busan Expo bid. President Song will visit three countries?South Africa, the Republic of Mozambique, and the Republic of Zimbabwe?for six days and five nights until the 23rd.

President Song is the first businessperson dispatched overseas as a special envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Busan Expo bid.

Africa has 45 member countries of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE), second only to Europe (48 countries). President Song will visit Johannesburg and the administrative capital Pretoria in South Africa, Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, and Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, meeting with senior government officials and key figures from diplomatic and industrial trade ministries. At these meetings, he plans to explain Busan's competitiveness and future vision and request support for Busan's bid.

In particular, he intends to emphasize Korea's development case, which transitioned from an economic aid recipient to a donor country, highlighting that Korea is the optimal country to support the growth of African nations.

President Song will also hold discussions related to future cooperation between these countries and Hyundai Motor Group.

He will introduce Hyundai Motor Group's global social contribution project targeting the African region since 2012, the 'Green Light Project,' and discuss the potential for various future social contribution activities.

Additionally, he plans to exchange opinions on the spread of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in the African region.

A Hyundai Motor Group official said, "Africa has the second-largest number of International Bureau of Expositions member countries after Europe, making this visit highly significant."

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