Former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to Deliver Final Speech for Busan Expo Bid

(From left) Ban Ki-moon, former UN Secretary-General, Han Duck-soo, Prime Minister [Image source=Yonhap News]

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will serve as South Korea's final presenter for the bid to host the 2030 Busan World Expo.

On the 28th (local time), Ban is scheduled to deliver a speech in support of Busan's Expo bid at the 173rd General Assembly of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) held at the Palais des Congr?s on the outskirts of Paris, France, around 1:30 PM. Drawing on his experience as UN Secretary-General, Ban will emphasize to representatives from various countries the importance of international solidarity. The government is promoting the Expo as the "Expo of Solidarity," aiming to share the legacy that South Korea has achieved with support from the international community through the Busan Expo.

During the approximately 20-minute final presentation, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Chairman Choi Tae-won of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon, and Busan Expo Ambassador Na Seung-yeon will also appeal for last-minute support.

To sincerely convey South Korea's gratitude for the help it has received worldwide, a video featuring a Korean War veteran and his granddaughter will be showcased during the presentation. The video also includes messages of support from Busan Expo ambassadors such as conductor Chung Myung-whun, soprano Jo Sumi, actor Lee Jung-jae, as well as K-pop stars PSY and Kim Junsu.

Following South Korea's presentation, Italy and Saudi Arabia will each deliver their final 20-minute presentations. The assembly will then immediately prepare for voting. If a candidate country receives at least two-thirds of the votes from participating countries in the first round, it will be selected as the host. If not, the top two countries will proceed to a runoff to determine the winner. The final result is expected to be announced around 5 PM local time (1 AM on the 29th Korean time).

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