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| Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, front right, shakes hands with Bureau International des Expositions Administration and Budget Committee President Patrick Specht at the Gimhae International Airport, Friday. Yonhap |
By Lee Kyung-min
The enthusiasm and high level of civic pride shown by Busan citizens led to a successful end to the weeklong visit by an eight-member delegation from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), according to Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, Friday.
BIE is an intergovernmental organization in charge of overseeing and regulating World Expos. The Enquiry Mission, led by BIE Administration and Budget Committee President Patrick Specht, visited Korea this week to assess the country's viability and feasibility to host the high-profile international event in Busan in 2030. The eight members returned to Paris on Friday.
In a "thank you" letter to Busan, Park attributed the success of the inspection to its residents.
"The strong will, enthusiasm, charm and capabilities of Busan were conveyed to each and every one of the mission members, an outcome we the Busan citizens have achieved as one," he said in a letter released Friday.
From the moment the eight members set foot in the city, Park continued, and throughout their visits to key cultural and historically meaningful places, the delegation repeatedly expressed how thoroughly prepared the city was.
"The eight members repeatedly said 'amazing Busan,' which I thought was a genuine response to our months of preparations to greet them and make them feel our passion every step of the way," he said.
The mission members were impressed by how Busan citizens welcomed them with the brightest, heartwarming smiles.
Busan citizens greeted the eight members with the most sincere, overwhelming energy from the moment they arrived at Busan Station until the moment they left, not because they thought they had to, but because they genuinely felt ecstatic they were able to see them in person, Park said.
"I think the eight members really felt how sincere we were," he said.
The support for Busan's bid to host the high-profile international event will continue throughout this year, as buttressed by President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, he added.
"The two pledged full support for Busan's Expo bid. I believe the passion will lead to the successful delivery of two competitive presentations and voting before the year's end," Park said.
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