| A traditional artist performs 'sangmo nori,' or spinning streamer hat, to welcome an eight-member delegation from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in front of Busan Station in the southeastern port city of Busan. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
Three presentations, venue studies, cultural events await Paris team
By Ko Dong-hwan
BUSAN ― An inspection team from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) arrived in Busan, Tuesday, to assess the southern port city's ability to host World Expo 2030.
The BIE Enquiry Mission kicked off its three-day survey of the city that faces stiff competition from Saudi Arabia's Riyadh, Italy's Rome and Ukraine's Odesa to host the Expo.
Arriving at Busan Station via KTX high-speed rail from Seoul on Tuesday morning, the delegation was met by 5,500 residents outside the train station welcoming the eight high-profile dignitaries. Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon escorted the team to Eurasia Platform, a public square in front of the train station, where they were met by the welcoming crowd.
| Eurasia Platform in front of Busan Station is teeming with people ahead of the arrival of the Bureau International des Expositions Enquiry Mission traveling to the port city from Seoul, Tuesday. Some 5,500 people packed the public square to welcome the inspection team from Paris. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
Led by Patrick Specht, BIE Administration and Budget Committee president, the delegation's outdoor priority of the day was visiting Eulsuk Island in the Nakdong River estuary. They studied how the maritime environment there is being preserved. Dealing with natural settings wisely and sustainably to protect them from the impact of the climate crisis is part of the standards international observers expect from World Expo hosts.
After a luncheon at the Nakdong Estuary Eco Center, the delegation received the country's second presentation about “sustainable living with nature.” The presentation explained why Busan seeks to host World Expo 2030 under the slogan “Transforming Our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future.” The delegation watched how the Expo is planned to take place also in the metaverse, replicating its physical spaces and thus support people from across the world to join the event online.
| Members of the BIE Enquiry Mission watch a swan being released into the wild at Nakdong estuary on Eulsuk Island in western Busan, Tuesday. The injured bird was captured and treated before being released into the wild. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
It was followed by a tour around an ecological park on the island. The delegation had a chance to witness the release back into the wild of animals that were rehabilitated after being found injured.
Wrapping up their schedule on the island, the delegation moved to Signiel Busan, a hotel some 30 kilometers east in the city's coastal district of Haeundae, the home of the signature tourism hotspot Haeundae Beach. The journey from Eulsuk Island to the hotel was made along the highways that connect the city's southern coastal islands with a scenic view of the country's southern waters. The drive is well-known among tourists to the country's biggest port city.
| Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon delivers a welcome speech for the BIE Enquiry Mission during a dinner banquet at Signiel Busan, Tuesday. Yonhap |
After checking in, the delegation joined a dinner banquet at the hotel hosted by the mayor. The dinner specifically used local seasonal ingredients from Busan and the nearby regions of Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province, including beef from Busan's Gijang County, minari (water parsley) from Ulsan's Eonyang District, pumpkin from Hadong County in South Gyeongsang Province and cutlassfish from Busan. The mayor called the banquet “Spring in Busan.”
According to Busan's Bid Committee for World Expo 2030, the banquet offered wines from Germany, Romania, Switzerland and Greece. The countries represent where some of the eight members of the BIE Enquiry Mission hail from.
The mayor said in a speech at the banquet that Busan's hosting of World Expo 2030 has now become the “dream of all of Korea.” Mentioning the names of the BIE Enquiry Mission members, Park delivered the welcome speech in English urging the guests to positively examine the city during the remainder of the week.
"Busan has hosted a number of global events so far, such as the Busan International Film Festival, the Busan One Asia Festival and G-Star, making the city a perfect fit to host the Expo," the mayor said. G-Star is the nation's largest gaming convention.
Some 130 dignitaries joined the banquet, including Ahn Sung-min, the chairperson of the Busan Metropolitan Council and Rep. Park Jae-ho of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, whose constituency is in the city's Nam-gu area.