SEOUL/PARIS: The vote for the host city of the 2030 World Expo is set to take place in Paris on Tuesday, with South Korea’s southeastern city of Busan making last-ditch efforts to pull off an upset in the competition against two other candidates.
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck Soo and a delegation of South Korean business leaders are in Paris, making a final effort to secure the hosting of the World Expo in Busan.
They are meeting with representatives from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) to highlight Busan’s vision and capabilities in using the Expo as a platform to address global issues, Yonhap news agency reported.
Busan is contending against Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Rome, Italy.
The host country will be selected by the member states of the BIE, the body responsible for overseeing the globally prestigious event with the potential to generate economic benefits and stimulate job creation, during its general assembly later in the day.
“Until the final whistle is blown, both the government and the private sector will exert their utmost efforts,“ Han told reporters in Paris late Monday.
Busan is believed to be in a tight race against Riyadh, which has conducted a significant marketing campaign from the early stages.
The World Expo, officially known as International Registered Exhibitions, has a legacy of fostering global innovation and cultural exchange since 1851.
Busan is bidding to host the World Expo 2030 between May 1 and Oct 31, 2030, under the theme “Transforming Our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future.”
The 2030 expo will follow the 2025 expo in Osaka, Japan.–Bernama-Yonhap
