Yoon to deliver English presentation for World Expo bid

President Yoon Suk Yeol, who claims to be Korea's No.1 salesperson, will personally engage in the competition presentation (PT) to captivate the attention of the 2030 World Expo and deliver a speech in English.

“President Yoon is scheduled to take part as the final speaker of the 2030 World Expo Competition PT, to be held at the 172nd General Assembly of the Organization for International Expositions (BIE) in Paris, France on Tuesday afternoon (local time),” the presidential office announced on Sunday. President Yoon's speech, delivered in English, will serve as a platform for him to convey his unwavering determination and genuine commitment to hosting the expo to the national delegations at the general assembly.

President Yoon will assume the role of the final speaker in the on-site presentation, alongside a diverse array of speakers representing various domains, including the renowned singer PSY, famed academics, and startup representatives. In a bid to showcase Korea's soft power, Karina, the leader of the girl group AESPA, and Jo Su-mi, a globally acclaimed vocalist, will make appearances in a video presentation. This presentation marks the fourth out of a total of five, which would be crucial in determining the outcome as the host country is set to be announced in November of this year. Competing countries such as Saudi Arabia and Italy will also hold their presentations.

Following the disclosure of President Yoon's presentation attendance schedule, reports emerged that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, a rival contender, has also visited Paris. The spotlight is now on the potential interaction between President Yoon and Crown Prince Mohammed, who had met in Korea in November of the previous year. It remains to be seen whether they will reunite after seven months, possibly through the presentation event or an official reception.

“Building upon the resounding success of showcasing Korea's dominant ‘K-content’ during the 3rd presentation, our 30-minute competitive presentation in the 4th round will be captivating, with an engaging mix of videos and presentations,” an official from the Presidential Office said. “We are determined to deliver a compelling and appealing presentation to representatives of the BIE worldwide.”


Kwan-Seok Jang jks@donga.com