Presidential Office Confident in Busan Expo Bid... "BIE Inspection Team Visit Will Be a Driving Force in the Later Stage"

The Presidential Office recently completed an on-site inspection by the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) in Busan and expressed confidence in hosting the 2030 Busan World Expo.

A Presidential Office official stated during a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the morning of the 17th, "We are engaged in a fierce and intense battle," adding, "The visit by the BIE inspection team could become a tremendous driving force that surpasses the mid-to-late stages of the bidding competition."

The BIE inspection team visited Korea from the 2nd to the 7th for a 5-night, 6-day schedule to review the Expo preparation status. The competing countries for the Expo bid are Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) and Italy (Rome).

The official explained the plan, saying, "We will further upgrade the bid with the K-Busan Expo," and "We intend to lead the global strategy for securing the Busan Expo."

He also mentioned that the inspection team was satisfied with the national interest in the Expo bid, government preparations, media attention, bipartisan cooperation between ruling and opposition parties, and the President's determination, stating, "After the inspection, I have been told by many member countries in the international community that 'Korea is an unprecedented country with perfectly completed preparations.'"

Regarding the unanimous resolution passed by the ruling and opposition parties on the 3rd in the plenary session for the "Successful Hosting and Bid of the Busan Expo," the official said, "(The inspection team) admired Korea's democratic cooperation and dynamism."

He particularly predicted that a favorable public opinion would be formed through the report distributed to 171 member countries at the BIE General Assembly at the end of June and the competitive presentation (PT).

However, when a reporter asked whether President Yoon Suk-yeol would personally deliver the presentation at the 4th presentation, the official refrained from commenting, saying, "Nothing has been decided yet."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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