Yoon to Personally Attend Paris 'BIE General Assembly PT'

Appealing for Support in English... Singer Psy Also Provides On-Site Support
Turning Point Expected Ahead of November Host Country Decision

President Yoon Suk-yeol will personally participate in the 2030 World Expo competitive presentation (PT) to be held at the 172nd General Assembly of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) in Paris, France, on the 20th (local time).

On the 18th, the Presidential Office announced that President Yoon will be the final speaker at this BIE General Assembly and will conduct the PT in English. This PT is the fourth out of five presentations during the bidding competition process, with presentations from South Korea (Busan), Saudi Arabia (Riyadh), and Italy (Rome). The fourth PT is expected to be a turning point to capture the votes of member countries ahead of the host country decision scheduled for November this year.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Before President Yoon, speakers from various fields including PSY, the singer of 'Gangnam Style,' academics, and startup representatives will give on-site presentations to support Korea's bidding efforts. Members of the girl group aespa, such as Karina, and world-renowned soprano Sumi Jo will appear via video to captivate the audience.

Having demonstrated the overwhelming power of K-content compared to competing countries in the third PT, Korea will again deliver a 30-minute competitive PT filled with diverse videos and presentations, leaving no room for boredom, to convey the justification for hosting the Busan World Expo to BIE representatives worldwide.

Meanwhile, President Yoon will embark on a 6-day, 4-night trip to France and Vietnam from the 19th to the 24th. At the Cabinet meeting on the 13th, President Yoon announced his plan to attend the BIE General Assembly, emphasizing that "it will be an opportunity to showcase the differentiated vision of the Busan Expo."

During his visit to France, President Yoon will hold a summit meeting and luncheon with French President Emmanuel Macron. The Presidential Office stated, "The two leaders will discuss how to harmoniously develop their respective Indo-Pacific strategies and contribute to freedom, peace, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," adding, "From 2024 to 2025, as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, we will also discuss ways to enhance cooperation with France, a permanent member of the Security Council, on international security issues."

President Yoon also expressed his high expectations. In an op-ed published in the French daily Le Figaro on the 17th, he stated, "Since establishing the 'Comprehensive Partnership for the 21st Century' in 2004, the Republic of Korea and France have expanded exchanges in various fields such as politics, security, economy, culture, and education. It is now time to elevate the cooperative relationship between the two countries to a new level," and added, "Koreans hope to become partners who leap higher and further together with the French people."

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