Choi Tae-won Flies Daily for Ten Days... Economic Groups Unite for Expo Bid

Choi Tae-won Serves as Private Sector Chairman for 18 Months
Manages Overseas Schedule on Crutches Despite Ankle Injury
Son Kyung-sik and Koo Ja-yeol Conduct Private Diplomacy Through Overseas Networks

Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), completed a schedule covering half the circumference of the Earth in ten days. Traveling through seven countries in Latin America and Europe, he appealed for the hosting of the '2030 World Expo' in Busan. Since the 13th, excluding weekends, he has been flying daily to meet heads of state in each country. The total flight distance reached 22,000 km, equivalent to half the Earth's circumference. He pushed forward with a final intensive campaign ahead of the host country vote scheduled for the 28th (local time) in Paris, France.

Economic organizations centered around the KCCI are making a breathless effort to secure the Expo hosting rights. At the center of this effort, Chairman Choi will participate in the public-private joint bidding event held in Paris on the 24th. Alongside President Yoon Suk-yeol and major group chairpersons, he plans to engage in the bidding campaign over two nights and three days.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Since May 2022, Chairman Choi has served as the private sector chairman supporting the Expo bid for 18 months. Regardless of the meeting target, timing, or location, he literally ran around tirelessly. In June, despite an ankle injury, he demonstrated a 'crutch spirit' and completed all scheduled overseas trips.

Last month, he visited Central Asia to meet political and business figures, then moved to Paris to attend the 'Expo Symposium' on the 9th. On the 12th, he met government officials from the Caribbean region who came to Seoul to attend the Korea-Caribbean High-Level Forum. On the 15th, he returned to Paris to attend a K-pop concert and SK Group's CEO seminar.

At the 4th meeting of the bidding committee held last month, Chairman Choi said, "Now is the season of harvest, and I want to gather every single vote without missing any," adding, "To achieve a successful conclusion, we must devote all our remaining efforts." He expressed his unwavering commitment to the bidding activities until the end.

A KCCI official said, "With five days left until the voting day, every single vote is crucial," and added, "All executives are meeting representatives of member countries overseas to conduct a meticulous vote-gathering campaign."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Korea Economic Organization Association (formerly the Federation of Korean Industries) also participated in supporting the Expo bid both materially and spiritually. Ryu Jin, who took office as chairman of the Korea Economic Organization Association in August, has been leading private economic diplomacy by fully mobilizing his overseas network despite the short period. Recently, Chairman Ryu accompanied President Yoon on his state visit to the United Kingdom, expanding his scope of external activities. The association supported its member companies to act as economic delegations in major countries such as the United States, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.

The Korea Employers Federation also contributed by sending business delegations at the association level or by Chairman Son Kyung-sik personally meeting high-ranking officials in various countries. In May, the federation dispatched business delegations to T?rkiye and France, holding meetings with key local organizations and government officials. In October, it invited the European Union (EU) delegation in Korea for a roundtable, and in November, it requested support for the Busan Expo bid through a meeting with leading Irish companies.

Chairman Son accompanied President Yoon on his overseas trips in his capacity as chairman of the federation, providing support for the Expo bid. On the 15th, he participated as a Korean member of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) at the APEC Summit held in San Francisco, USA.

The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) is paying attention not only to major countries but also to emerging countries with relatively less exchange. Earlier this month, KITA Chairman Koo Ja-yeol visited Turkmenistan with an economic delegation to request support for Busan's bid. In February, Chairman Koo, acting as a special presidential envoy for the Busan Expo bid, visited five Caribbean countries including Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, meeting with foreign ministers and other high-ranking government officials.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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