Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, a presidential envoy representing a candidate city for the 2030 Busan World Expo, recently embarked on a diplomatic mission to the Kingdom of Lesotho in a bid to drum up support for the event. During his visit, Mayor Park met with Lesotho’s King, Letsie III and Prime Minister, Sam Matekane, to request their backing and to invite them to the Korea-Africa Special Summit in 2024.
Mayor Park explored potential cooperation projects between the two countries in various fields, including agriculture, manufacturing, technology, and customs administration. The Prime Minister of Lesotho invited key officials from related ministries to attend a meeting with Mayor Park to discuss cooperation projects further.
Mayor Park held in-depth discussions with Lesotho’s Foreign and Finance Ministers to explore more in-depth collaboration. In addition, he held a meeting with business leaders from both Korea and Lesotho to promote practical cooperation between the two countries in preparation for the upcoming 2030 Busan World Expo.
Mayor Park delivered a keynote speech and was interviewed by the Lesotho National Broadcasting Service, with the broadcasts featured during the evening news. The aim was to raise awareness of cooperation between Lesotho and Korea while promoting support for the 2030 Busan World Expo bid. Additionally, the presidential envoy met with Korean companies in Lesotho, South Africa, and Botswana to learn about their activities and challenges. During these meetings, he requested their continued interest and support for the event.
Mayor Park’s visit to Lesotho showcased a customized mission structure and carefully planned activities that reflected the host country’s priority interests. This approach led to the promotion of practical cooperation projects that benefit both countries, ultimately building support for the 2030 Busan World Expo bid.
The private business-to-business (B2B) meeting held during the visit was a major breakthrough for Korean and Lesotho stakeholders as it was the first large-scale direct consultation event between them. This milestone has set a firm foundation for future practical cooperation between the two nations.
During his meetings with top-level officials, Mayor Park stressed that the 2030 Busan World Expo could serve as a platform to address Lesotho’s unique developmental and power generation needs. This would allow for more efficient and practical responses to global crises and challenges such as food, energy, and climate change.
As a presidential envoy, Mayor Park is currently on a tour of three African countries – the Kingdom of Lesotho, South Africa, and Angola. His trip, which started on February 22 and will end on March 3, involves conducting negotiations and promotional activities for the 2030 Busan World Expo. The success of Mayor Park’s diplomatic mission to Lesotho demonstrates his commitment to building strategic partnerships that benefit both Korea and the wider African continent.
