The last week Busan Metropolitan City held a “Foreign Press Tour” with 14 foreign correspondents, including The Washington Times (U.S.), The Telegraph (U.K.), NHK (Japan), Xinhua News Agency (China), Agencia EFE (Spain), CNA (Singapore) and Politiken (Denmark), to detail our World Expo 2030 candidature preparation status and action plans. Ahead of the on-site inspection scheduled in April conducted by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) delegation, City Hall prepared this tour to showcase Busan’s strengths, attractiveness and capabilities as a host city.
After arriving in Busan, the correspondents boarded an eco-friendly electric hydrogen bus to visit the city’s past at Gamcheon Culture Village and the future at Busan X the SKY following their stop at North Port, the tentative venue. Mayor Park Heong-joon, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, government officials and bid committee members played a pivotal role in the tour.
Mayor Park explained the city’s attractiveness and desire to host, particularly noting that Busan is the only city in Asia selected as one of the best travel destinations by National Geographic. Park asked the group for their support in presenting the universal value of civilization by becoming the World Expo host. Prime Minister Han described Busan as once a refugee-driven city that has been transformed into the second-largest transshipment port in the world. He emphasized the committee’s desire to share this unique history and experiences.
