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| Prime Minister Han Duck-soo holds the "Squid Game invitation card" during his presentation on Busan's bid to host 2030 World Expo at the BIE General Assembly in Paris, Tuesday (local time). Courtesy of Courtesy of Office for Government Policy Coordination |
Han ― with BTS ― makes case against rival city Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital
By Jung Min-ho
In a video played to promote Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030 at Tuesday's General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the international body that supervises the exhibitions, RM, the leader of K-pop boy band BTS, put forward climate change as one of the pressing issues for humanity.
Comparing the current situation with the one described in "Squid Game," the hit Korean series in which only one participant survives, BTS members made the case that the 2030 festival should be a platform for all participants to share ideas to find solutions for many challenges, so that "everyone can survive on this beautiful planet."
This video was part of the presentation delivered in Paris by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who vowed to prepare the Korean city for the noble mission while holding the "Squid Game invitation card" in front of representatives of some 20 member countries.
No names of other cities competing for the hosting rights were mentioned during the presentation (for diplomatic and economic reasons), but the message of the presentation appeared to make a case against Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, as it is the world's largest crude oil exporter. The city is considered by many as the top contender in the race.
After the presentation, Han talked with representatives of Slovenia, Estonia, Poland, Croatia and Hungary in a luncheon in which he stressed the importance of Korea's partnership with Europe and their shared values in overcoming climate change and other international issues.
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| Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks during a meeting with representatives of BIE member countries of Africa in Paris, Tuesday (local time). Courtesy of Office for Government Policy Coordination |
Later that day, Han also had talks with representatives from Mauritius, Mozambique, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, Burkina Faso and the Central African Republic in a meeting where he said the 2030 Expo in Busan would usher in fresh, stronger partnerships between Korea and many countries in Africa.
Europe and Africa together account for more than 60 percent of the 170 BIE member countries, which will select the venue for the 2030 World Expo through voting in November 2023.
"We declared the 'Busan Initiative,' through which we offered to share the unique experience of Korea [from a developing country to a developed one] as part of the effort to help countries around the world overcome health, food and education problems among others," Han said in a social media message aimed particularly at developing countries. "Our 'Busan Expo One Team' has been trying our very best to promote the city since June … Such efforts are visible in Paris, where we can easily find the advertisements for Busan's Expo bid and mascot."
The prime minister expressed his gratitude to business leaders for their continued support, including SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, co-chair of the bid committee, who visited there as his delegation.
Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, who saw Han's presentation on the site, said he did a great job of making a convincing case for why Busan is the most suitable venue through "creative" and "practical" messages, showing confidence that it will win the bid over Riyadh, Rome and Ukraine's Odesa.
The prime minister's endeavor will continue in Mozambique and Ghana, where he will meet leaders of the countries to push for the agenda and discuss possible areas of cooperation in the coming days.
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