Yoon Attends Meeting with French Koreans... "Please Join Forces to Attract Expo"

Yoon: "Will Open a New Horizon for Global Diplomacy"

President Yoon Suk-yeol attended a meeting with overseas Koreans on the 19th (local time) as his first schedule during his visit to France, requesting the overseas Korean community to unite their efforts to support the bid for the 2030 Busan World Expo.

At the 'Dinner Meeting with Koreans in France' held at a hotel in Paris that evening, President Yoon said, "The final vote to select the host city for the 2030 World Expo will take place here in Paris this November, a city famous for the Eiffel Tower, a representative legacy of expos." He added, "The entire nation of Korea is united and working hard to secure Busan as the host," which was met with applause from the audience.

President Yoon emphasized, "Since the 179 member countries of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) conduct secret ballots individually, the process of hosting an expo is known to be more challenging than the Olympics or the World Cup," and stated, "If we succeed in hosting, it will open a new horizon for global diplomacy."

He expressed gratitude for the support of Koreans while mentioning the development of bilateral relations over 137 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between Korea and France. President Yoon said, "Korea and France have grown and developed together based on solidarity and cooperation throughout 137 years of diplomatic relations," and emphasized, "During the Korean War, we fought together, shedding blood to protect the freedom of the Republic of Korea."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon particularly noted, "The Korean community in France boasts a tradition of over 100 years and has a noble history of supporting the independence movement of the homeland under harsh conditions. The first Korean association in Europe was organized here, centered around Hong Jae-ha, a patriot and the father of Honorary Consul Hong Poo-an, who is present here today." He added, "I deeply thank the overseas Koreans for their great interest and support during the repatriation of Hong Jae-ha’s remains to Korea last November."

He continued, "Today, Korea and France are partners sharing universal values of freedom, human rights, and the rule of law," and explained, "Going forward, the two countries will strengthen cooperation in advanced technology fields and global agendas based on active cultural and human exchanges." President Yoon also mentioned recent developments such as the emergence of over 200 Korean restaurants in Paris, Korean language announcements on the Paris subway, and the French people's interest in Korean Wave culture including webtoons, music, art, and dance.

This overseas Korean meeting hosted by President Yoon is the first such event held abroad since the launch of the Ministry of Overseas Koreans on the 5th. President Yoon said, "The Ministry of Overseas Koreans will serve as a strong bridge connecting the homeland and you more closely, becoming a global business hub and a reliable support system for overseas Koreans. I ask you to play a valuable role in the development of the homeland as well."

The meeting was attended by former Minister of Culture Fleur Pellerin of Korean descent, former Secretary of State for Digital Affairs C?dric O from the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Public Accounts, pianist Baek Gun-woo, and Park Ji-yoon, concertmaster of Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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