Chairman Chey Tae-won Promotes 'Expo Hosting and Korean Cuisine' to UN Ambassadors

KCCI Hosts 'Korea Night' Event in New York
"Busan Expo is a Platform for Addressing Global Challenges"
Galbi, Sea Urchin Rice Bowl, Glutinous Rice Donuts... Korean Cuisine Draws Attention

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry held "Korea Night" on the 23rd (local time) at the Korean restaurant "Oiji Mi" in New York. Choi Tae-won, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is explaining the Busan Expo and Korean cuisine during the dinner speech.

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Hyung-gil] Choi Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, held a "Korea Night" event in New York, USA, on the 23rd (local time) and requested support and cooperation from the ambassadors to the UN of the member countries of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) for the bid to host the "2030 Busan World Expo."

The event, held at the Korean restaurant "Oiji Mi" in New York, was attended by representative business figures including Yoo Jung-joon, Vice Chairman of SK Group; Choi Kyung-sik, President of Samsung Electronics North America; Lim Byung-dae, Head of LG Electronics Washington Office; and Hwang Jun-guk, Ambassador of the Korean Permanent Mission to the UN.

Among the attendees from the Permanent Missions to the UN were ambassadors from Zambia and deputy ambassadors from the United States, Japan, Switzerland, Estonia, Israel, and Mexico, totaling about ten people.

In his dinner speech, Chairman Choi said, "There would be no Korea today without the United Nations," adding, "Korea's success today is indebted to the global community called the UN, and we must not forget this and think about contributing something to the world."

He continued, "The bid for the Busan Expo is not simply for economic rewards or immediate tangible results, but an effort to contribute to the world through a 'platform' that realizes universal human values and addresses common challenges."

Hwang Jun-guk, Ambassador of the Korean Permanent Mission to the UN, said, "Busan is a city that connects the ocean and the continent, equipped with key elements of economic and cultural exchange," and added, "The solidarity of countries gathered here today is more necessary than ever for sustainable growth."

Chairman Chey Tae-won of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and UN ambassadors from various countries are taking a commemorative photo. (From left) Jeffrey DeLaurentis, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Mission to the UN; Hwang Jun-guk, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the UN; Jeremias Fabiano Sittoe, Deputy Chief of Mission, Permanent Mission of Mozambique to the UN; Chairman Chey; Stanley Kakubo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Zambia; Chola Milambo, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Zambia to the UN; Kim Ji-yoon, violinist; Brett Miller, Deputy Chief of Mission, Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN.

The UN ambassadors also expressed their expectations for the Busan Expo. They agreed with the purpose of the Busan Expo to seek solutions to common challenges facing humanity and said, "We were able to confirm the strong will and passion of the Korean government and companies for the Busan Expo bid."

The event was hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in its capacity as the private sector bid committee for the Busan Expo. It was organized to discuss ways to activate private economic exchanges with the ambassadors to the UN of BIE member countries on the last day of the UN General Assembly.

Woo Tae-hee, Executive Vice Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "The UN General Assembly is very suitable for creating an atmosphere to explore humanity's common agenda as world leaders gather in one place," adding, "Since the purpose of the Busan Expo includes universal human values such as responding to climate change, we invited UN ambassadors from various countries to effectively convey the purpose and strengths of the Busan Expo."

Meanwhile, during the meeting, Chairman Choi's promotion of Korean cuisine, which he is pushing for "Korean food industrialization," was also carried out. The menu featured a course meal including flower ribs, sea urchin rice bowl, and glutinous rice donuts, with the sea urchin rice bowl (Oiji Bowl) drawing the most attention. Although sea urchin is a frequently used ingredient in traditional Korean dishes, it is often labeled as the Japanese term "Uni" in both overseas and domestic restaurants. This is explained by the fact that although Korea exports a huge amount of sea urchin to Japan, its added value as a representative Korean food product has not been recognized.