Yoon meets with global leaders for Busan’s 2030 World Expo bid

During President Yoon Suk Yeol’s visit to New York for the UN General Assembly, he actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to garner support for Busan’s 2030 World Expo bid, holding nine bilateral summits. The South Korean Presidential Office emphasized President Yoon’s unwavering commitment to this cause, with him shuttling between the UN Headquarters and South Korea’s diplomatic office in New York, which served as his base of operations. President Yoon’s ambitious agenda included bilateral meetings with 38 heads of state during his four-night, six-day stay in New York.

Upon arrival at New York’s JFK International Airport aboard Air Force One, accompanied by the first lady, President Yoon embarked on a tightly packed schedule, meeting with nine heads of state in just seven hours. Following his recent participation in the G20 summit in India, President Yoon had instructed his summit to arrange as. Any bilateral meetings as possible, humorously referring to himself as a “bilateral meeting machine.”

On his first day in the United States, President Yoon met with leaders from nine countries, including San Marino, Burundi, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Montenegro, Turkmenistan, Saint Lucia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. President Yoon underscored Busan’s significance as the world’s second-largest transshipment port and a pivotal gateway connecting Eurasia and the Pacific Ocean. He emphasized Busan’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge digital technology to provide an optimal platform for showcasing the culture, history, resources, and products of participating countries at the Expo.

At the South Korean diplomatic office in New York, two conference halls were set up for President Yoon’s meetings with heads of state. Notably, President Yoon met with Captains Regent Alessandro Scarano and Adele Tonnini of San Marino, a microstate surrounded by Italy with a population of just 33,000. San Marino is led by two Captains Regent, akin to the Roman Republic, and they hold de facto leadership roles in. he. Tate. San Marino is a Bureau International des Expositions member and has a vote.


Joo-Young Jeon aimhigh@donga.com