South Korea intensifies bid to host World Expo 2030 in Busan

Three other countries, Ukraine, Italy and Saudi Arabia, are also seeking to host the international event.

The four countries, including South Korea, will be making their presentations at the French Bureau International des Expositions.

The choice of host city for the expo is due to be made in 2023. In order to apply to become the host city, the Bid Committee will select an expo theme that people around the world can identify with.

The final decision of the host country will be made by voting member countries (currently 170 countries, including Kenya) at the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE)  General Assembly scheduled to be held in June 2023.

The theme of the 2030 Busan World Expo is Transforming our world, Navigating Tower a better future. It is based on the perception that a major change is needed to solve problems facing mankind, such as the spread of COVID-19, climate, and environmental crisis. 

For 180 years, World Expo has been gathering leaders across the globe to share ideas and solve the challenges of tomorrow. 

In 2030, the world will be passing the baton to a new generation of global decision-makers who face the challenges of a world that is changing faster than ever. 

With 2030 being the target year for the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals, Expo 2030 will present a one-of-a-kind opportunity to galvanize sustainable efforts ahead of U.N. deadlines - a global goal that has incurred major setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Busan City has extensive experience in holding large-scale international events such as the Asian Games in 2002 and the APEC Summit in 2005.

As Korea's foremost trade port, Busan has been a key trade port since the 15th Century.

During the Korean War, the city served as a temporary capital, hosting a massive influx of refugees that saw its population swell from 300,000 to over one million people. After the conflict, Busan became a major economic hub that helped drive Korea's rapid industrialization and cultural revival.

As postwar Korea continued to modernize and revitalize, Busan led the way as the nation's preeminent financial hub - expanding Korea's network of trade partners around the world and growing itself into the world's second-largest transshipment hub as of 2021, handling close to 75% of Korea's domestic trade.

Today, Korea sits at the heart of international trade, with Busan operating as its #1 trade port. Korea's exports power the modern economy.

“Our transformative agenda for the World Expo resonates with Korea's recent history. Our nation and people demonstrated a boundless capacity for self-reinvention in the wake of the Korean war,” says South Korea President Yoon Suk-Yeol.

According to South Korea, Expo 2030 Busan aims to be the most wide-reaching, inclusive, and transformative World Expo of all time. 

"By focusing on six key areas of differentiation, we can ensure that Expo 2030 is a once-in-a-lifetime gathering and a turning point for humanity," said President Yoon Suk-Yeol.

South Korea has promised to host an expo that is open through the metaverse, carbon-neutral, inclusive, a new technology expo, a cultural expo and a data-archiving expo.