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| Thomas Goisque plans to promote Busan's Expo bid by portraying the city's local landscapes that represent the past, present and future. Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan City |
By Ko Dong-hwan
Picturesque photos and drone-shot videos of Busan, eager to host the World Expo 2030 in a race with three other cities, have served as a critical part of visually promoting the city to the world so far. Now, a new unique set of images is expected to come along, raising anticipation over how Korea's biggest port city will be portrayed to the world.
Busan Metropolitan City invited Thomas Goisque, a renowned French photographer, to the southeastern coastal city. Arriving on Thursday, the 54-year-old accepted the city government's request to stay until next Wednesday shooting photos across the city. The travel photographer is known to have mainly photographed urban landscapes, coastal sceneries, mountains, people, industrial sites and ports in his professional career, according to the city government.
Having traveled the globe as a photographer for more than 15 years, Goisque worked for popular French and international magazines including National Geographic, Le Figaro and Le Monde. He won the Marc Flament Prize in 1995 which was awarded by the Ministry of the Armed Forces of France. His 2014 picture of French and Nigerian soldiers at Fort Madame won the Sergeant Sebastien Vermeille Prize, which rewards the best photographs taken by military and civilian photographers on missions with French military forces.
He is expected to visit North Port, the proposed central venue of World Expo 2030 now under major redevelopment to make it more tourist-friendly, as well as the city's major beaches like Haeundae and Gwangalli. The Provisional Capital Memorial Hall, a city heritage site preserving Busan's history as the country's temporary capital during the 1950-53 Korean War, is another spot Goisque will visit, according to the city government.
The Expo Promotion Bureau under the city government said Goisque's photos will be categorized under the city's past, present and future. While the memorial hall and other heritage sites show the significant role Busan played during the critical years of Korea and other tumultuous periods, beaches and other tourism spots represent the city's popularity among global visitors. The port area under construction, meanwhile, will be a testament to how the city's oldest port will cater to the public better with the latest technologies that embrace people and the surrounding maritime landscape.
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| North Port in Busan is busy with barges and fishing vessels, March 31. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
Goisque will be guided to spend extra hours around North Port to highlight the venue's "openness" and "creative use of its physical space," the city government said. The outcome is expected to deliver effectively the venue's strength as the centerpiece for the World Expo 2030 ― especially to the 171 member states of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in Paris.
The city government said the photographer will be provided with explanations by local experts on cultural tourism about the venues he will portray to support his works.
Goisque's arrival came as the eight-member BIE Enquiry Mission conducted their inspection of Busan to ascertain its suitability to host World Expo 2030. The delegation left Busan on Friday following the completion of its city inspection on Thursday.
The city government said Goisque accepted the invitation thanks to efforts by Renault Korea Motors to invite him to the city. The automaker runs a factory inside the Noksan National Industrial Complex in the city's southern coastal district of Gangseo.
Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon said he appreciates Renault's interest in the city's Expo bid. He said businesses offering their "all-round support and encouragement means a lot."
The French automaker pledged to support the city government in June when it visits the BIE headquarters to make a fourth presentation promoting Busan's Expo bid in front of the intergovernmental organization's member states.
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