Seoul - With the crucial vote just two weeks away, South Korea is intensifying its campaign to host the 2030 World Expo in the southeastern city of Busan. President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo are scheduled to travel to Paris to make a final pitch for the country's bid.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Han Duck-soo is set to embark on a four-day trip to Paris later Sunday to garner support for hosting the quadrennial event in Busan. This visit follows a month after his tour to Paris as part of the European campaign for the expo bid. The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the organization responsible for overseeing the World Expo, will decide between Busan, Riyadh, and Rome as the host city on November 28 in Paris. A file photo provided by the Prime Minister's Office shows Han Duck-soo delivering a speech in Paris on October 10, 2023, advocating for Busan's bid.
In addition, Bang Ki-sun, the policy coordination minister, will visit Benin and Guinea Bissau from Monday to next Sunday as President Yoon's special envoy, aiming to secure support from these African countries. President Yoon is set to enhance South Korea's bid with a state visit to Britain from November 20-23, followed by a three-day stay in Paris until November 25. During his time in Paris, Yoon plans to meet officials from BIE member states to solicit their support.
In June, during a general assembly of the BIE in Paris, President Yoon presented South Korea's vision for the World Expo, highlighting it as an opportunity for the country to "give back" to the international community following its recovery from the 1950-53 Korean War. Foreign Minister Park Jin also contributed to the efforts by meeting with high-ranking officials from 12 nations last week at the sixth Paris Peace Forum. Among the leaders he met were Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic, and Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, seeking their support for Seoul's expo bid.