A special envoy of South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol met with Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg this week, as the country seeks to drum up support for its bid to host the 2030 Expo.
Special envoy Jong-hoon Kim presented South Korea’s bid to the minister and explained that the country will be focusing a lot on the inclusive benefits of technology in its bid to host the global fair. He noted that Malta and South Korea have always enjoyed strong diplomatic Relations.
The minister told Kim that Malta was a firm proponent of such events and had recently taken part in the Dubai Expo, held a few months back. It will also be participating in the Osaka Expo to be held in 2025.
Borg wished Kim South Korea’s candidacy every success. Malta will be evaluating all the proposals before making a final decision, he added.
Organised by the Bureau International des Expositions, world expos showcase pavilions set up by countries, corporations, NGOs and international organisations. They are massive in scale and can stretch to tens of thousands of square metres.
South Korea is competing against Italy, Ukraine, and Saudi Arabia to host the 2030 expo, which it intends to host in the city of Busan.
The winner will be elected by BIE member states.
Russia was originally also in the running but dropped its bid after it came under heavy sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.