Yoon asks for support for Busan World Expo from overseas Koreans in France

PARIS -- President Yoon Suk Yeol has asked for support from overseas Koreans living in France to support Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo, saying that hosting the expo will open a new horizon for global diplomacy for Korea.

President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Paris on Monday afternoon (local time) to begin his six-day, two-leg tour of France and Vietnam to rally support for South Korea's 2030 World Expo bid and to hold bilateral summits with the two countries' leaders.

Upon his arrival in France, Yoon commenced his overseas trip by attending a dinner meeting with overseas Koreans at a Paris hotel. During the gathering, he urged France's Korean community to unite in their efforts to host the event, stressing that both the central and local governments, as well as the private sector and the general public, share this aspiration.

"The final vote, scheduled for November, will determine the host city of the 2030 World Expo,” Yoon said. "In Korea, we witness the collective efforts of our citizens united as one, striving to attract the event to Busan."

“Hosting the expo presents a greater challenge compared to the Olympics or the World Cup, given that the 179 member countries of the BIE participate in a confidential voting process,” Yoon said. “However, should we succeed in securing the opportunity, it will usher in a new era for global diplomacy."

Yoon said throughout their 137-year history of bilateral relations, Korea and France have experienced mutual growth and development, grounded in solidarity and cooperation. "Notably, during the Korean War, they shared a bond of shedding blood together and fought side by side in defense of the Republic of Korea's freedom."