[BusanIsReady] CEOs Expanding Boundlessly and Companies Rolling Up Sleeves for Promotion

Companies Are Running

"From now on, it begins" (Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry)

Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and SK Group Chairman, who showed his 'crutch fighting spirit' in France, expressed on the 20th (local time) after completing the 4th competitive presentation (PT) at the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) General Assembly that the battle to host the '2030 Busan World Expo' has only just begun.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The three-way competition to host the Expo among Saudi Arabia, backed by 'oil money,' Italy's Rome, and Korea's Busan is expected to heat up further. Leading the front lines are major group chairmen and corporations actively participating.

In particular, major domestic group chairmen supported the Busan Expo bid during a 3-day, 2-night schedule in France with President Yoon Suk-yeol. Along with Chairman Choi, the four major group chairmen including Lee Jae-yong of Samsung Electronics, Chung Eui-sun of Hyundai Motor Group, and Koo Kwang-mo of LG Group, as well as Kim Dong-kwan, Vice Chairman of Hanwha Group, Cho Won-tae, Chairman of Hanjin Group, and Cho Hyun-sang, Vice Chairman of Hyosung Group, lent their support on-site.

Chairman Choi, who serves as the private sector chairman supporting the Busan Expo bid, recently injured his leg but attracted attention by managing key schedules on crutches.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The host city for the 2030 Expo will be decided by secret ballot among 179 member countries at the 173rd BIE General Assembly in November. If no country receives two-thirds or more of the votes in the first round, a runoff vote will be held between the top two countries.

Currently, about 70 countries openly support Saudi Arabia, with Korea and Italy trailing behind. Korea’s strategy is to advance to the runoff alongside Saudi Arabia and then absorb votes from European countries that had supported Italy to achieve a comeback victory.

Careful and discreet contact and persuasion are required, and corporations are taking on that role. During this General Assembly, Samsung Electronics showcased the '2030 Busan World Expo' logo on a large outdoor advertisement at the Opera Garnier, located in the heart of Paris, and screened Expo promotional videos in major urban areas and on social media channels.

Hyundai Motor Group provided electric vehicles wrapped with the logo 'BUSAN is READY!' as transportation for the Korean delegation, and LG posted numerous advertisements supporting the Expo bid near Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport and the BIE General Assembly venue for a month.

The economic ripple effect of the Busan Expo is estimated to exceed 61 trillion won, including 43 trillion won in induced production and 18 trillion won in induced added value. A business community official said, "Business leaders believe that hosting the Expo is an opportunity for national interest and the domestic economy's leap forward," adding, "They will continue support activities by leveraging global networks to meet member countries and promote Busan until the vote."

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