Controversy Over Expo Bid Promotion Video 'Satirizing and Mocking Saudi'

"This Means Losing Even in Manners"

South Korea's bid to host the '2030 World Expo' ended in failure, and a promotional video posted on the state-run broadcaster KTV channel has been criticized for 'mocking Saudi Arabia.'

KTV's promotional video for the 2030 Busan World Expo, which caused controversy for satirizing Saudi Arabia.
[Photo source=YouTube KTV Policy LIVE capture]

On the 29th, Busan suffered a setback by receiving only 29 votes out of a total of 165 in the first round of voting for the 2030 Expo host city at the 173rd General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE). The final winner was Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which secured 119 votes and was confirmed as the host city.

In particular, the 33-second video revealed during the government's final presentation before the vote used the background music of 'Gangnam Style,' a hit from over a decade ago, featuring only K-pop stars, and failed to showcase the unique characteristics of Busan or Korea, drawing harsh criticism.

Meanwhile, another promotional material aimed at attracting the 2030 Expo to Busan, posted on the official social media (SNS) and YouTube channel of KTV National Broadcasting, operated by the Korea Policy Broadcasting Corporation under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, came under fire on the 27th.

The video was produced by the sketch comedy YouTube channel '1deung Media' team, run by comedians Kim Seong-gi and Shin Heung-jae. It features a host asking artificial intelligence (AI) from Korea and Saudi Arabia about the expected host country of the Expo and receiving answers.

KTV posted the video with the explanation: "1deung Media asked the AIs of Saudi Arabia and Korea. Which country will host this Expo? And the answer? Predictable but unpredictable results. Watch the video for a straightforward encounter."

The promotional video for the 2030 Busan World Expo by KTV, which sparked controversy for satirizing Saudi Arabia. The actor playing the Saudi AI repeatedly shouts "Saudi" despite the host's persistent questions.
[Photo by YouTube KTV Policy LIVE capture]

The controversy over 'mockery' stems from the answers given by the actor playing the 'Saudi AI.'

When the host asked, "Which side has a higher probability of hosting the Expo?" the actor playing the 'Saudi AI' repeatedly answered only "Saudi." Even when asked repeatedly for specific reasons, the answer remained "Saudi."

In contrast, the Korean AI gave a fluent response: "The Busan Expo offers new business opportunities to all countries worldwide. With substantial experience in hosting major international events and various cutting-edge technologies to cooperate with developing countries, Korea has the advantage. Moreover, Korea possesses K-soft power that has captivated the world, not money, so Korea has a higher chance."

Netizens who saw the video criticized it heavily, saying, "Many Korean companies are preparing to enter the Saudi market, and many have already established a presence there as key partners. This kind of portrayal does not help national interests at all." Others reacted with comments such as, "Are public funds being spent on this?", "It's a diplomatic insult," "Waste of budget and manpower. How can this video be considered promotional?" and "I apologize to the Saudi people on behalf of Korea." As the controversy grew, KTV made the problematic video private on YouTube and other platforms as of noon on the 30th.

Meanwhile, President Yoon Suk-yeol, in a national address on the 29th regarding the failure to secure the Busan Expo, stated, "We pursued this with the aspirations of the entire nation through a public-private joint effort and a whole-of-government approach, but we failed. Everything is due to my shortcomings."

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