[BusanIsReady] SK Throws Down the Gauntlet for Busan Expo... Chey Tae-won's 'Crutch Fighting Spirit' Included

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On the 20th (local time), the General Assembly of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) was held in Paris, France. The 4th competitive presentation (PT) for hosting the 2030 World Expo took place. On this day, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who attended to support Busan's bid, appeared on crutches due to a leg injury. It was truly a display of determination on crutches. The 4th PT is regarded as the last chance to overturn the strong competitor Saudi Arabia. Chairman Chey also attended the 2nd PT in June last year.

Chairman Chey was appointed as the private sector chairman supporting the Busan Expo bid in May last year, and since July of the same year, he has been serving as the co-chairman of the 2030 Busan Expo Bid Committee alongside Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Taking on the 'one person, three roles' including the presidency of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he has been actively working tirelessly to secure the Busan Expo.

Chairman Chey Tae-won of SK Group (right) and Chairman Lee Jae-yong of Samsung Electronics, attending on crutches due to injury, are smiling together while holding crutches at the official reception for the 2030 Busan World Expo held at a sports center in Issy-les-Moulineaux, Paris, France, on the 21st (local time). Chairman Chey attached a pad with the Busan Expo logo to his crutches. [Image source=Yonhap News]

SK is mobilizing all its group capabilities for the bid. In June last year, SK established the WE TF (World Expo Task Force) under the SK SUPEX Council. The task force was composed of top executives at the vice-chairman level. Cho Dae-sik, chairman of the SUPEX Council, served as the head of the TF and was responsible for Asia. Yoo Jung-joon, vice chairman of SK E&S, was the head of the on-site support team; Jang Dong-hyun, vice chairman of SK Inc., led the planning and PR team; Park Jung-ho, vice chairman of SK Hynix, was in charge of the Americas, Japan, and Western Europe; and Kim Jun, vice chairman of SK Innovation, was responsible for the Middle East, Africa, Oceania, and Eastern Europe.

This year alone, Chairman Chey met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vu?i?, Montenegrin President Milo ?ukanovi?, and prime ministers of Spain, Portugal, and Denmark. The 'WE TF' also spares no comprehensive support. Last year, Chairman Cho visited Tuvalu, Fiji, Nauru, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, and Tonga. Vice Chairman Jang visited Croatia, Kazakhstan, Estonia, and Lithuania. Vice Chairman Kim met key government officials in Poland, Vice Chairman Park in Palau, and Vice Chairman Yoo in Suriname.

SK Group is also putting effort into promoting the Busan Expo to the general public. The Expo support campaign '2030 Future Request' recorded 30 million views from 177 countries about 10 weeks after its launch. The 'Support Relay Video' featured Campbell Asia, Rosie, and the girl group IVE. The video views exceeded 12 million.

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