SK Chairman Chey Tae-won: "Expo Must Become a Global Solution Platform"

Interview with French daily Le Figaro ahead of BIE General Assembly

Choi Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, said regarding the 2030 World Expo, "It should be a platform that showcases beneficial solutions for the planet, not an exhibition hall for economic interests or a specific city."

Ahead of this week's Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) General Assembly, Chairman Choi emphasized the significance of the Expo in an interview with the French daily Le Figaro on the 20th, stating, "The world is currently facing numerous issues such as climate change, war, hunger, and desertification."

Chairman Choi is the chairman of the private sector committee for the 2030 Busan Expo bid. He said, "It is a heavy responsibility, but also a great honor. Now that I am in my 60s, it feels like there is not much time left to contribute to society."

Choi Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, is heading to the conference room to attend the '2023 Expanded Management Meeting' on the morning of the 15th at Walkerhill Hotel in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Chairman Choi expressed regret, saying, "Please ask President Emmanuel Macron why he chose to support Riyadh, Saudi Arabia," adding, "There was no reason to declare his position so early." President Macron officially announced his support for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the competitor to Busan, in July last year.

Chairman Choi also expressed concerns about the Korean economy. He said, "Korea's success story based on exports no longer works. If we do not change our strategy, we will face difficult times." He added, "Koreans are accustomed to constant change. Thanks to new technologies and cultural assets, there are more options compared to Japan," and stated, "If we successfully combine industrial competitiveness as hardware and culture as soft power, Korea's future will be bright."

Chairman Choi noted that the geopolitical competition intensified by the Russia-Ukraine war has caused "market fragmentation," saying, "There will no longer be a single global market." He continued, "The conflict between the two superpowers, the U.S. and China, is affecting all companies," and added, "I also believe the hegemony war could last for more than 30 years."

Nevertheless, Chairman Choi said, "On the other hand, it also provides new opportunities," referring to the NAND factory in Dalian, northeastern China, acquired by SK from Intel. He explained, "We are anticipating and approaching various scenarios depending on the development of U.S.-China decoupling." Regarding the possibility of semiconductor production in Europe, Chairman Choi left room for possibility, saying, "If the European Union (EU) creates a favorable environment in the future..."

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