Yomiuri: "Japanese Government Supports Busan as Host City for 2030 Expo"

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on the 26th that the Japanese government has decided to support the South Korean government's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Within the Japanese government, there were initially strong voices supporting Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the host city due to the importance of relations with the Middle East, including crude oil imports. However, considering South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's efforts to improve Korea-Japan relations, Yomiuri reported that this policy was solidified.

The newspaper also evaluated that the Japanese government intends to back the current South Korean administration to further improve Korea-Japan relations. Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reportedly unofficially conveyed his support for Busan's bid to President Yoon during the Korea-Japan summit held in conjunction with the G20 summit in India last September.

The newspaper added that if Busan is selected as the host city for the 2030 Expo, the Japanese government plans to share various information gained from preparing and hosting the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo with South Korea.

The host city for the 2030 Expo will be decided by a secret ballot of representatives from 182 BIE member countries at the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE) General Assembly in Paris on the 28th. Busan is competing against Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Rome, Italy.