Busan City and Pan-Citizen Hosting Committee Hold 'Nationwide Expo Wish Walking Festival'

From 1 PM to 5 PM on the 11th at Busan Station Plaza and Bukhang Waterfront Park, over 1,000 participants

Voluntary participation by citizens, nationwide, and foreigners... 'The enthusiasm for hosting will be known worldwide'

Busan City and the 2030 Busan World Expo Citizens' Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Citizens' Committee) will hold the "Nationwide Expo Wish Walking Festival" from 1 PM to 5 PM on the 11th at Busan Station Plaza and Busan Port North Port Waterfront Park.

Eurasia Platform Media Wall ‘BUSAN IS GOOD FOR EXPO’.

With the slogan "Expo for Me (X4ME), Expo for Us, Future for Us," this event will be attended by about 1,000 citizens and foreigners. It is organized to create a nationwide momentum for the bid ahead of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) on-site inspection scheduled for early April.

The city and the Citizens' Committee plan to showcase the voluntary participation of citizens to fully demonstrate the enthusiasm of the candidate city for hosting the event.

To ensure participants do not get bored, the event will feature not only the walking event but also various programs scheduled throughout the day.

First, from 1 PM to 2 PM at Busan Station Plaza, a pre-event will kick off the Expo bid wish festival with a pungmul troupe parade and pre-event performances.

Alongside this, about 10 experience booths such as ttakji (traditional Korean card game), photo booths, tattoo printing, face painting, and boogie booths will be set up, along with various souvenir giveaways, providing enjoyable experiences for families.

Then, from 2 PM, the main event will take place for 30 minutes. Following the opening announcement, the main stage will feature a congratulatory performance by the Busan Municipal Arts Group playing assorted drums and percussion instruments. Next, a "Expo Cheer Parade" will be held, where multicultural participants from over 20 countries residing in Korea will showcase their traditional costumes.

At the same time, participants will form a circle around the giant Expo logo in the center of the plaza to perform a wish-for-success performance for the bid.

After the main event, participants will be divided into four groups corresponding to the letters E.X.P.O. and will begin a walking rally from Busan Station to the North Port Waterfront Park, the planned site for the 2030 Busan World Expo, accompanied by youth cheerleading.

Bukhang Waterfront Park Auxiliary Event Venue (Walking Route).

During the event, the Eurasia Platform Media Wall at Busan Station will display a video featuring the faces of many participants and citizens who actively support the 2030 Busan World Expo bid, along with the phrase "BUSAN IS GOOD FOR EXPO," further heightening the enthusiasm for the bid.

Additionally, panels containing information about the 2030 Busan World Expo will be installed at the North Port Waterfront Park, where the walking rally takes place. These panels are carefully prepared to help participants naturally learn about "what the 2030 Busan World Expo will bring to me" and "what kind of future it will offer us" as they take each step, encouraging support for the bid.

At the end of the course, participants can enjoy lively busking performances including traditional Korean music busking, youth symphony orchestra, and K-POP cover dance, and will receive a small souvenir upon completing the walk.

The city and the Citizens' Committee limited the number of participants to around 1,000 considering venue conditions and safety management, accepting online applications. The registration, which opened on February 23, 2023, was unusually filled within a day, closing early, reflecting the high interest and support from citizens.

Starting with this event, various events to sustain the enthusiasm for the 2030 Busan World Expo bid are expected to be held throughout March by the 16 districts and counties, various civic groups, and professional organizations, as well as during the Expo week when the BIE on-site inspection team visits.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun said, "The BIE on-site inspection team is scheduled to visit Busan for an inspection in early April, three weeks from now," adding, "With the voluntary participation of many citizens like this event, we will be able to show the world the passionate enthusiasm of Busan as the candidate city for the 2030 Busan World Expo and surely receive a favorable evaluation from the inspection team."