The World Expo Leader Has Arrived... "The 2030 Expo Is a Platform for Solving Humanity's Problems" Consensus

KCCI Hosts International Conference on "Great Global Transformation, Navigating Toward a Better Future"

Seoul Jung-gu Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] The 2030 Busan World Expo Bid Committee and Busan City will hold an 'International Conference' for the bid of the 2030 Busan World Expo at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry building on the 27th.

The event, held at 2 p.m. that day, will be themed "The Great Transformation of the World, a Voyage Toward a Better Future," with about 100 participants including key Expo figures from home and abroad, ambassadors to Korea, businesspeople, and future generations. Notably, Dimitri Kerkentzes, Secretary-General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, and Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will attend.

Secretary-General Dimitri Kerkentzes was born in the United Kingdom and earned a master's degree in International Relations and Human Rights from the University of Kent. He joined the Bureau International des Expositions in 2003 and has built his career as an Expo expert. While serving as Deputy Secretary-General, he led key projects such as the establishment of the official World Expo Museum and the expansion and reorganization of the BIE Secretariat. Since 2020, he has served as Secretary-General of the BIE, which has 170 member countries.

The International Conference is a milestone in the long journey to host the 2030 World Expo and represents a unique competitive advantage that no other candidate city possesses.

In the early stages of preparation, it acted as a midwife for Busan's bid strategy and logic development and the establishment of domestic and international human networks. After becoming a national project, it has played a catalytic role in securing domestic and international support and spreading a broad civic and national consensus. Recently, it has become a venue for experts to present diverse opinions and ideas on the main and sub-themes of the 2030 Busan World Expo and to engage in in-depth discussions.

Especially this year, the International Conference invited Dimitri Kerkentzes, Secretary-General of the BIE, and Chairman Choi Jae-cheol. It is a great opportunity to once again demonstrate our sincerity regarding the future vision that the 2030 Busan World Expo aims to present. Secretary-General Dimitri Kerkentzes has previously attended multiple International Conferences, providing generous advice through keynote speeches and presentations.

At the opening ceremony, on-site or video congratulatory messages are expected from ▲Park Hyung-jun, Mayor of Busan ▲Han Duck-soo, Prime Minister ▲Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry ▲Seo Byung-soo, Chairman of the National Assembly Special Committee for Expo Support, among others.

In the keynote session, world-renowned futurist Professor Jim Dator will deliver a recorded speech on "Climate Change and Coexistence with Nature" and offer advice on the 2030 Busan World Expo. Following this, Damir Kusin, Ambassador of Croatia to Korea, Kim Sang-hyup, Private Chairman of the 2050 Carbon Neutral Green Growth Committee, and Yeom Jae-ho, Founding President of Taejae University, will conduct an on-site discussion based on Professor Jim Dator's keynote speech.

The expert sessions will include ▲Green Technology Session ("Expo as a Stage for Revitalizing the Green Ecosystem") and ▲People & ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) Session ("Expo for Social Value"). Experts from international organizations, industry, and academia in the ESG field will participate, promising high-level discussions.

On the 15th, Busan City successfully held a BTS concert to support the bid for the 2030 Busan World Expo, spreading the enthusiasm for Busan's bid worldwide and demonstrating Busan's capabilities. To continue this momentum, the upcoming International Conference will actively showcase the values the 2030 Busan World Expo aims to realize and Busan's determination to host the event.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo emphasized that the World Expo is an important platform to jointly consider and seek solutions to pressing global challenges. He stated that hosting the Busan World Expo will be an opportunity for South Korea to become a leading country in the global transformation, including climate change. The government will also inform the 170 member countries of the BIE about its will, capabilities, and strengths until the host city selection in November next year, aiming to lead the successful bid for the 2030 Busan World Expo.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun of Busan said, "After visiting Latin America, Japan, and other regions for bid activities recently, I found a consensus that many countries want to cooperate with Busan, South Korea, and received much warmer hospitality than expected." He emphasized the bid determination, saying, "In the remaining year, together with the government and companies, we will promote Busan's strengths and potential and lead the successful bid."

Outside the venue on the day of the event, the video "Fill the Expo, Feel the Expo," shown at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the day of the BTS Expo bid concert on the 15th, attracted attention. The video, composed as a digital album, featured about 6,000 Expo support messages from people worldwide who gathered to watch the concert and SNS challenge participation at the Expo photo wall, adding meaning to the Busan World Expo as a global event.

Meanwhile, the official schedule for the 2030 World Expo bid includes the 3rd competitive presentation in November 2022, an on-site inspection by the BIE around March 2023, the 4th competitive presentation in June 2023, and the 5th competitive presentation and host city decision in November 2023. Including Busan City, the government, companies, and others are making nationwide efforts to secure the 2030 World Expo.

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