Mayor Park Heong-joon, the Special Envoy for the 2030 Busan World Expo bid appointed by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, completed a successful tour of three African countries from February 22. The countries visited were the Kingdom of Lesotho, the Republic of South Africa, and the Republic of Angola.
During the tour, Mayor Park met with high-level officials, including presidents, kings, prime ministers, deputy prime ministers, foreign ministers, finance ministers, and transportation ministers from each country to promote the bid for the 2030 Busan World Expo and discuss ways to strengthen practical exchanges and cooperation between the countries through the Busan Initiative.
The delegation, led by Mayor Park, included representatives from Busan Metropolitan City, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 2030 Busan World Expo Bid Team, embassies, and Korean companies such as Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Company, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), Korea Trade Insurance Corporation, and Korea Electronic Power Corporation.
During the tour, the delegation conducted “tailored negotiations” to implement exchange and cooperation projects that have been discussed with visiting countries in a concrete and substantial manner. Mayor Park also introduced the “Busan Initiative” to the top officials of each country, a platform based on Korea’s unique experience and know-how that aims to promote joint cooperation projects to address global challenges such as climate change, digital transformation, and inequality.
In addition to meetings with government officials, Mayor Park also held meetings with local companies in the countries visited to discuss the status and challenges of Korean companies’ expansion and activities and to seek their support for the 2030 Busan World Expo bid.
Mayor Park’s successful tour was well-received by local media in each country. Interviews were conducted with media outlets such as Lesotho National Broadcasting Service (LNBS), Pretoria News, The Star, The Mercury, Cape Times, TPA, ANGOP, Rede GIRASSOL, TV ZIMBO, and CIAM. These interviews aimed to raise awareness of Korea’s cooperation with Africa and spread support for the 2030 Busan World Expo bid.
Mayor Park expressed confidence in the chances of winning the bid for the 2030 Busan World Expo and vowed to continue conducting continuous and active negotiations with BIE member countries. The tour was an important step in expanding Busan’s diplomatic outreach and strengthening Korea’s economic and cultural ties with Africa.
