| K-pop artist Rain performs during the 'K-Culture Night' concert, held at the outdoor theater area of the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae District, Wednesday, to celebrate the city's bid to host the upcoming World Expo 2030. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
By Lee Gyu-lee
Busan held a star-studded concert, Wednesday, to celebrate its bid to host the upcoming World Expo 2030, welcoming a delegation from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), an intergovernmental organization overseeing and regulating World Expos.
The “K-Culture Night” concert, which took place at the outdoor theater area of the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae District, invited classical and K-pop artists to provide an opportunity for the delegation to experience the country's music culture which has recently boomed internationally.
K-pop girl group Oh My Girl kicked off the show with a performance, followed by Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra led by the famous conductor Gum Nan-se. The orchestra played the soundtracks of popular movies, such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Star Wars”
| K-pop girl group, Oh My Girl, gave the first performance during the 'K-Culture Night' concert. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
World-class soprano Sumi Jo, who made history as the first Korean Grammy winner in 1992, highlighted the first part of the concert, performing “Adagio” and “Je Veux Vivre.” The artist also performed “We Will Be One,” an official song dedicated to supporting Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030. She is one of the official ambassadors for the city's bid, along with other cultural icons like BTS and Lee Jung-jae.
Other ambassadors, the rock band KARDI and rapper Wonstein, set off the second part of the show. Then, the globally popular K-pop artists iKON and Rain topped it off, showcasing their performances.
The concert is part of the city's efforts to show the delegation its ability to host the high-profile international event. Busan is competing with Saudi Arabia's Riyadh, Italy's Rome and Ukraine's Odesa to host the Expo. Russia's Moscow withdrew its bid last May.
“We've prepared to offer an honest picture of K-culture, like Korea's movies and performances, by organizing a concert at the outdoor theater venue, which is used as the main stage of the Busan International Film Festival every year,” an official at the Busan Cinema Center said ahead of the event.
| A delegation from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), an intergovernmental organization supervising World Expos, enjoys the 'K-Culture Night' concert. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul |
Eight delegates of the BIE Enquiry Mission landed in Korea on Sunday for a six-day stay to assess the country's second-largest city and its capacity as a potential host, as well as citizens' enthusiasm.
Since their arrival, the delegation had a series of meetings with ranking Korean government officials, as well as business leaders, including Chey Tae-won, chairman of both the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and SK Group.
They also made visits to popular spots in the country including Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul and Gwangalli Beach in Busan.
The delegation is scheduled to depart for Paris on Friday.