Prime Minister Han: "Ran by the minute for 3 days... The Busan Expo bid race is just beginning"

Published 23 Jun.2022 14:26(KST)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Kim Hyewon] Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said on the 23rd, after returning from attending the 170th General Assembly of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) held in Paris, France, "The race to host the 2030 Busan World Expo is just beginning."

On the same day, Prime Minister Han stated on Facebook, "There were positive remarks from various countries expressing strong impressions of our passion and firm determination to host the Expo."

Han, who visited France for a 3-night, 5-day schedule from the 19th to the 23rd, met consecutively with ambassadors of BIE member countries to appeal for support for the 2030 Busan Expo. In particular, on the 21st, he made a direct competitive presentation (PT) in English and French in front of representatives from 170 BIE member countries.

Han said, "Our delegation was the only one to conduct PTs in both French and English and to have the president appeal for support through a video," adding, "The presentations by each speaker were flawless, and the justification for hosting in Busan was conveyed persuasively and well." He continued, "Paris is a place with deep ties to me. I served as an ambassador to the OECD here for about 10 months and visited twice to promote the Yeosu Expo bid," adding, "During these three days, I had to split my schedule by the minute and rush to save time."

Han said, "Despite the busy schedule, the support from the Korean community in France was a great strength to me," and added, "The loud shout of 'Dandi (firmly) will help' at the Korean event for bid support still resonates in my heart." He further stated, "There are still many hurdles ahead, including three additional PTs and on-site inspections before the final vote scheduled around November next year," and added, "To overcome these difficult challenges, full government support, strong utilization of private networks, and the wholehearted support of the public are absolutely necessary."