{"id":2201423,"date":"2023-06-20T19:05:07","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T10:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2201423"},"modified":"2023-11-20T17:57:31","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T08:57:31","slug":"how-busan-hopes-to-overcome-riyadhs-bid-for-the-world-expo-2030","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/06\/how-busan-hopes-to-overcome-riyadhs-bid-for-the-world-expo-2030\/","title":{"rendered":"How Busan hopes to overcome Riyadh\u2019s bid for the World Expo 2030"},"content":{"rendered":"
As the fourth and <\/span>final round of presentations<\/span><\/a> for the World Expo 2030 host city begins in Paris this week, Busan \u2014 South Korea\u2019s second-largest city \u2014 appears to be a strong contender.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n With a compelling story of urban transformation into a gleaming global hub and <\/span>national corporate backing<\/span><\/a>, the city\u2019s passion and enthusiasm \u2014 banners, beach sand sculptures, <\/span>drone shows and even a theme song \u2014 have fueled a perception that Busan\u2019s victory is inevitable.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI was in Busan last August,\u201d Kevin Hockmuth, an associate professor of political science and Korean studies at Akita National University in Japan, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>. \u201cAnd I was under the impression that they\u2019d already gotten it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n National support for the bid has united South Korea, making Busan\u2019s prospects look favorable. However, a closer examination suggests that securing the World Expo isn\u2019t a done deal, particularly given the considerable strengths of its principal competitor: Riyadh.<\/span><\/p>\n A NATURAL CHOICE<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cBusan\u2019s strength in hosting the bid is that it has hosted a number of large international events previously, including an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (<\/span>APEC<\/span><\/a>) Summit in 2005 and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (<\/span>ASEAN<\/span><\/a>)-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit in 2019,\u201d Sean O\u2019Malley, a professor of international studies at Dongseo University, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt also has an excellent public transportation system, along with other infrastructure beneficial for its bid,\u201d he added. Hockmuth pointed out that the port city is \u201ca four to five-hour flight from at least a third of the world\u2019s population.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n