Expo bid failure... Ruling party steps up to soothe Busan public sentiment

Government Confident in 'Comeback in Final Round' but Fails to Secure Hosting
"Will Continue Bukhang Redevelopment and Gadeok New Airport Projects"

Busan suffered a crushing defeat in the bid to host the 2030 World Expo, failing to even reach the final runoff vote, leading to analyses that this will also impact voter sentiment in next year’s general election. The ruling party has highlighted the diplomatic achievements gained during the Expo bid process to soothe public sentiment in Busan.

On the afternoon of the 28th of last month (local time), at the 173rd General Assembly of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) held in Paris, France, Busan was eliminated in the first round of voting, receiving 29 votes out of 165 member countries participating in the vote. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which was selected as the Expo host city, received 119 votes.

Initially, the government was confident that it could overturn the results in the second runoff vote by absorbing votes supporting Italy and defections from Saudi Arabia. However, Busan’s vote count in the first round was only a quarter of Riyadh’s, preventing it from advancing to the runoff.

On the 24th, promotional materials wishing for the successful hosting of the 2030 World Expo were installed at Busan Station. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Although the Expo bid failed, the ruling party is emphasizing that they will continue to pursue long-standing projects in Busan and Gyeongnam, such as redevelopment of the Bukhang area, which was the expected Expo site, and the new airport on Gadeokdo, aiming to quell calls for accountability.

Ahn Cheol-soo, a member of the People Power Party, commented, "Although we unfortunately did not achieve the expected result, this challenge has made Busan known worldwide as a proud city of South Korea."

On the 29th, through social media (SNS), Ahn said, "Our diplomatic stage has expanded significantly to developing countries in Africa and Latin America, and Busan has gained valuable opportunities to build exchange experiences and networks with various countries. Going forward, Busan will continue its grand transformation project by opening Gadeokdo New Airport, redeveloping the Bukhang area, and establishing a metropolitan transportation network, never ceasing its challenge to become a global hub city."

Jang Ye-chan, the youth supreme council member, said, "It is fully expected that Busan citizens will be greatly disappointed, but it is a bit premature to judge the political impact on next year’s general election." On the same day, on BBS Radio’s 'Jeon Young-shin’s Morning Journal,' he said, "From the government’s standpoint, we can only express our apologies," but added, "Personally, I cannot say that Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and others who worked really hard and made great efforts should be held responsible."

Regarding ways to soothe public sentiment in Busan, Jang emphasized, "Although the bid failed this time, development of the Bukhang area in Busan, which was the expected Expo site, should be supported without any wavering, and rather be developed more properly. Also, I hope that President Yoon Seok-yeol’s pledge to relocate the Korea Development Bank to Busan will be carried out as soon as possible so that Busan can become a new financial hub, helping to calm the disappointed public sentiment in Busan."

Jang Dong-hyuk, the floor spokesperson, also said in an interview with YTN Radio’s 'News King with Park Ji-hoon' on the same day, "The diplomatic territory has expanded and the economic territory has also grown during the preparation process for the bid. Although the bid failed, I hope this will serve as an opportunity for the people to unite more and for Korean companies to expand overseas, thereby broadening our economic territory."

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