Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will serve as the final presenter for Korea’s bid to host the 2030 Busan World Expo.
Ban, the former Secretary-General, is scheduled to deliver a speech for the Busan Expo bid at the 173rd General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in Palais des Congrès, a suburb of Paris, France, at 1:30 p.m. local time on the 28th. Ban will emphasize the importance of international solidarity, which he experienced during his tenure as the UN Secretary-General, to the representatives of various countries. The government is promoting the Busan Expo as a “Expo of Solidarity,” aiming to share the heritage that Korea has achieved with the support of the international community.
During the final 20-minute presentation, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Chairman Choi Tae-won of the Federation of Korean Industries, Mayor Park Hyung-jun of Busan, and Ambassador Na Seung-yeon, the Busan Expo PR Ambassador, will also appeal for last-minute support.
In order to convey the sincere desire of the government to repay the help Korea has received from around the world, a video featuring the story of a Korean War veteran and his granddaughter will be shown during the presentation. The video also includes messages of support from conductor Jung Myung-hoon, soprano Jo Sumi, actor Lee Jung-jae, and Busan Expo PR Ambassadors such as K-pop star Psy and Kim Junsu.
Following Korea, Italy and Saudi Arabia will each have a 20-minute final presentation. After the presentations, the Chairman of the General Assembly will immediately prepare for the vote. If a country receives more than two-thirds of the votes from participating countries in the first round of voting, the host city will be decided. Otherwise, the top two countries will compete in a final round, and the country with the most votes will be selected. The final results are expected to be announced at 5 p.m. local time (1 a.m. on the 29th in Korean time).
Reporter Son Sun-hee sheeson@asiae.co.kr
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