Mayor Park Hyung-jun Engages in Negotiations to Host 'Seminar Inviting BIE Representative in Paris'

Park Hyung-jun, Mayor of Busan, attended the 'Cultural Diversity Partnership Seminar for Representatives of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) in Paris' held at the InterContinental Hotel in Paris, France, at 6:30 p.m. local time on November 23, where he conducted negotiation activities to attract the 2030 Busan World Expo.

This seminar, themed 'World Expo 2030 Busan - Exploring New Horizons for Cultural Diversity, Exchange and Inspiration,' was organized to emphasize to representatives of the International Bureau of Expositions from various countries that the 2030 Busan World Expo is a differentiated expo in the cultural field based on Korea's rich cultural capabilities (K-culture) and that it is an 'expo of solidarity' providing opportunities for enhancing cultural diversity, exchange, and mutual understanding among nations.

Additionally, this event served as an opportunity for key figures in the 2030 Busan World Expo bid campaign?including President Yoon Suk-yeol, Chairman Choi Tae-won of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Mayor Park Hyung-jun of Busan?to gather and conduct negotiation activities with attending BIE representatives.

The event was co-hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in France and the Permanent Delegation of Korea to UNESCO, with over 110 attendees including BIE representatives based in Paris.

The program began with a pre-reception meeting with BIE representatives from various countries, followed by a video screening, opening remarks by Ambassador Park Sang-mi, Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, a welcome speech by President Yoon Suk-yeol, expert presentations, a toast by Chairman Choi Tae-won, and a dinner.

Through the video screening, the event explained Korea's cultural diversity and Korean culture (K-Culture) enjoyed worldwide, as well as the cultural capabilities of Korea and Busan (including Korea’s UNESCO tangible and intangible cultural heritage and the Busan International Film Festival). It also emphasized the 2030 Busan World Expo as a platform to strengthen global solidarity through cultural exchange and diversity.

President Yoon Suk-yeol highlighted that Korea’s cooperation with UNESCO is evidence of future development through education and culture, and that Korea’s cultural capabilities have been strengthened based on cultural diversity. He expressed hope for an inclusive and solidarity-driven expo based on the cultural charm of Korea and Busan, which pursues coexistence between advanced technology and traditional culture.

Fleur Pellerin, a Korean-French former French Minister of Culture who gave an expert presentation, conveyed her hope that the 2030 Busan World Expo will align with UNESCO’s ideal of building peace through culture and become a new stage for intercultural dialogue and understanding.

Chairman Choi Tae-won of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry expressed his thoughts on the One Team Korea bid campaign, where the government and private sector united, through a toast, and conveyed his determination to do his best until the very end to all attendees.

On this day, Mayor Park Hyung-jun actively negotiated with BIE representatives as the mayor of the candidate host city, widely promoting Busan’s charm and capabilities as well as the aspirational values of the 2030 Busan World Expo.

Mayor Park emphasized, “Busan is truly a cultural melting pot,” and added, “The 2030 Busan World Expo aims for solidarity with countries around the world through culture, which aligns with UNESCO’s ideals.”

He also explained, “During the Korean War, Busan, with a population of 300,000, warmly embraced over one million refugees,” describing Busan’s history as one of inclusion and harmony. He emphasized, “As a maritime city, Busan has formed its unique culture by blending diverse overseas cultures. Based on this openness, Busan, which led Korea’s rapid economic growth, now hopes to take a new leap forward by fostering cultural solidarity with countries worldwide through the 2030 Busan World Expo.”

Since arriving in Paris on the 19th, Mayor Park has been focusing his final efforts on on-site negotiations by holding individual meetings mainly with representatives of BIE member countries that have not yet decided their support.

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