Yoon at UN General Assembly on 2030 Busan Expo Bid... "Providing a Platform for Freedom and Solidarity"

78th UN General Assembly High-Level Session Keynote Speech
"Greatly Contributing to the Freedom, Peace, and Prosperity of Global Citizens"

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 20th (local time) that "the 2030 Busan World Expo will provide a platform of solidarity where global citizens overcome crises together while expanding freedom."

In his keynote speech at the high-level segment of the 78th United Nations General Assembly held at the UN Headquarters in New York, President Yoon said, "The diplomatic policy of the Republic of Korea government is freedom and solidarity."

With just over two months remaining until the final vote to select the host city for the 2030 Expo, he sought to turn the tide by explaining the rationale and significance of hosting the 2030 Busan Expo on the world’s largest multilateral diplomatic stage. Since arriving in New York on the 18th, President Yoon has held summit meetings with more than 20 countries, appealing for support for Busan’s bid to host the 2030 Expo.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon introduced the significance of Busan, saying, "If it were not for Busan, the city that served as the last bastion of freedom for the Republic of Korea when most of the Korean Peninsula was occupied following the armed invasion by communist forces over 70 years ago, and the city that rose from the ruins of the Korean War to become the world’s second-largest transshipment port and led the 'Miracle on the Han River,' today’s Republic of Korea would not exist."

He continued, "Now, by hosting the 2030 Expo in Busan, the gateway connecting the Eurasian continent and the Pacific Ocean, the Republic of Korea intends to actively fulfill its role as a responsible global nation," promising, "We aim to share widely with the international community the experiences of growth and development we have achieved so far, thereby giving back the support Korea has received from the international community."

President Yoon also emphasized, "The 1851 London Expo was the Industrial Revolution Expo. The 1900 Paris Expo was the Cultural Expo. The 1962 Seattle Expo opened the space age. The 2000 Hanover Expo was the Environmental Expo," adding, "The 2030 Busan Expo will be the Expo of Solidarity."

Furthermore, President Yoon stressed, "The diplomatic policy of the Republic of Korea government is freedom and solidarity. In line with this, the 2030 Busan Expo will provide a platform of solidarity where global citizens overcome crises together while expanding freedom," and asserted, "The Busan Expo will be a festival space sharing the history, culture, products, and future visions of countries around the world, greatly contributing to the freedom, peace, and prosperity of global citizens."

[Image source=Yonhap News]