Mayor Park Hyung-jun Meets High-ranking Panama Officials... Actively Promotes Expo 2030 Busan

Busan Mayor Park Hyung-jun (right) is taking a commemorative photo with Jos? Alejandro Rojas, Investment Advisory Minister, at the Presidential Office of Panama.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] Park Hyung-jun, Mayor of Busan, visited Panama on the 27th local time, becoming the first among Latin American countries to do so, and met consecutively with high-ranking Panamanian officials.

On the morning of the 27th local time, Mayor Park met with Jose Alejandro Rojas, Minister of Investment Advisory, at the Presidential Office.

At this meeting, Minister Rojas mentioned his diverse experience in private enterprises and recent projects by major Korean corporations entering Panama, expressing his intention to actively support the business activities of Korean companies.

In response, Mayor Park Hyung-jun proposed long-term cooperation in maritime, port, and shipbuilding industries based on the commonalities between the two countries, marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.

Minister Rojas stated that besides the sectors mentioned by Mayor Park, related institutions should engage directly in energy and waste management fields, and also expressed hope for cooperation related to airport construction.

Mayor Park replied that he hopes for personnel exchanges in LNG and other fields of interest to the Panamanian government, and mentioned that the ‘Our Oceans Conference,’ an international maritime conference held in Panama next year, is planned to be hosted in Busan in 2025.

He also requested support for the bid to host the 2030 Busan World Expo, themed ‘The Great Transformation of the World, Voyage Toward a Better Future.’

On the same day, the afternoon of the 27th, Mayor Park met with Crispiano Adames Navarro, Speaker of the National Assembly of Panama.

Speaker Adames said, “The international solidarity shown by the Republic of Korea so far will be well presented at the 2030 Busan World Expo, and I strongly support Busan’s bid for the 2030 Busan World Expo.”

He added, “I hope Mayor Park Hyung-jun, who also has parliamentary experience, will serve as a link to activate cooperation between the two countries’ legislatures.”

In response, Mayor Park said, “Busan and Panama are similar even in pursuing universal values and urban visions,” adding, “Both countries share values such as liberal democracy and are preparing for an ecological transformation.”

After the meeting with the Speaker, Mayor Park appealed for support for the 2030 Busan World Expo in an interview with local media, mentioning potential cooperation areas such as maritime, logistics, energy, and new industries.

On the morning of the 28th local time, he discussed economic cooperation between Korea and Panama and ways to secure support for the 2030 Busan World Expo from other Latin American countries over the phone with Carmen Gisela Vergara, Director of the Panama Investment Promotion Agency.

On the 28th local time, Mayor Park joined the presidential special envoy delegation led by former Minister Yum Young-hwan and visited El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Mexico in sequence.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun is currently on a 9-night, 12-day business trip visiting Miami in the United States and Latin America to expand the global network in the Latin American region and to promote and negotiate the bid for the 2030 Busan World Expo targeting key strategic areas.

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