Busan City Hosts Busking Performance to Support Bid for Expo 2030 Busan

Published 10 Feb.2023 10:29(KST)

Updated 08 Aug.2025 10:01(KST)

‘Sweet and Salty’ and ‘Burning Soda’ Performances Create a Sense of Community Among Children

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Busan City will hold the 2030 Busan World Expo Bid Support Busking event, ‘Made in Busanpan,’ at Millak The Market in Suyeong-gu on the 11th from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM.

Busking Performance Poster Draft for Supporting the 2030 Busan World Expo Bid.

The 2030 Busan World Expo Bid Support Busking ‘Made in Busanpan (made in Busanpan)’ is a performance collaborating with local indie bands to present songs related to the 2030 Busan World Expo, communicating with the audience about the necessity and ripple effects of hosting the 2030 Busan World Expo, and collectively wishing for a successful bid.

It was prepared to maximize the pan-citizen enthusiasm for the bid ahead of the onsite inspection by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) scheduled for early April. To communicate with various age groups, a total of four performances will be held at major city tourist spots including this event, at Seomyeon Sangsang Madang Outdoor (2.25), Jung-gu Gwangbok-ro (3.11), and Gwangalli Beach Meeting Plaza (4.1).

The event name ‘Made in Busanpan (made in Busanpan)’ signifies the intention to stage a ‘performance’ together with Busan citizens in hopes of successfully securing the 2030 Busan World Expo.

On the day, the performance will be conducted in collaboration with ‘Danjjan’ and ‘Burning Soda,’ talented indie bands from the Busan area composed of young artists.

‘Danjjan’ and ‘Burning Soda’ are the top busking teams selected for customized concepts suited to various performances. Through this event, they will foster empathy for the 2030 World Expo bid and directly deliver messages to spread the purpose and support enthusiasm for the performance.

Danjjan’s setlist includes ‘Don’t Worry Dear,’ ‘Break Away,’ ‘Is It There? No, It’s Not!,’ ‘Beautiful Country,’ and ‘Airplane,’ while Burning Soda’s setlist consists of ‘Car on Two Wheels,’ ‘Travel,’ ‘Hello,’ ‘Midnight Mood,’ ‘Freedom,’ and ‘Confession.’

In particular, this performance is held at Millak The Market, a complex cultural space in Gwangalli that is popular as a so-called ‘hot place’ among people in their 20s to 40s and well expresses Busan’s strength (the city’s waterfront space). It is expected to more effectively convey the consensus for the 2030 Busan World Expo bid.

The event provides an opportunity to solve Expo quizzes, making it easy and fun to learn about the 2030 Busan World Expo. Before the performance, the importance of enthusiasm for the bid during the April onsite inspection by the BIE will be emphasized to the audience. It will also be explained once again that the warm welcome and support of Busan citizens, as hosts receiving the visiting evaluation team in April, will have a significant impact on the bid decision.

Various events are also prepared. Audience members who answer the quiz correctly will receive promotional souvenirs (eco-friendly kitchen detergent) themed ‘The Great Transformation of the World, Voyage Toward a Better Future,’ which embodies the significance of hosting the 2030 Busan World Expo seeking a sustainable future. Additionally, they can take certification photos with Boogi, the city’s communication character who has recently become popular as an ‘insider.’

Mayor Park Hyung-jun said, “For the successful bid of the 2030 Busan World Expo, the support and interest of citizens are most important,” adding, “Our city will continue citizen-centered promotions by directly visiting sites to inform and communicate about the 2030 Busan World Expo.”

Furthermore, Mayor Park stated, “The nation’s main actors are each and every citizen,” and requested, “From welcoming the inspection team in April to the bid decision in November, I ask for your help in hosting the inspection team with mature civic consciousness so that we can win throughout the entire process.”

Last year, on December 23, when the coldest chill was felt, the city held a 2030 Busan World Expo Bid Support Busking performance at Gwangbok-ro City Spot in conjunction with the 2022 Gwangbok-ro Winter Light Tree Festival, drawing great response from citizens.