Grammy-nominated K-pop group BTS have been officially appointed honorary ambassadors for the World Expo 2030 Busan.
The City of Busan is vying to host the World Expo 2030 and has enlisted the help of BTS to strengthen its bid to win.
BTS attended the appointment ceremony held on July 19 at the HYBE headquarters in Seoul.
“It‘s a true honor that BTS has been appointed as ambassadors for the 2030 Busan World Expo. We will do our best to make the bid successful. Starting with the global concert in Busan set for October, we will strive earnestly to support the bidding and contribute to spreading South Korea’s beautiful culture around the world. Again, we ask for everyone‘s love, attention and support for the Expo,” said BTS’ RM on behalf of the group, according to the Korea Herald.
Joining them at the ceremony were Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won (also the chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon and HYBE CEO Park Ji-won.
According to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, “With BTS alongside us, from the bidding to the hosting of the event, we can make Busan Expo into a festival on ’Fire‘ for people all over the world. I expect something like ’Dynamite. ‘Let’s light it up like dynamite.’”
Busan is also the hometown of BTS members Jimin and Jungkook.
“We weren‘t sure if they would take up the role of ambassadors as they are such huge global stars, but CEO Park was very willing. Park visited Busan with the chairman, Bang Si-hyuk, and understood our objectives for their appointment as ambassadors, and we’re grateful for this,” said Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon.
As part of their roles as honorary ambassadors, BTS will be holding a concert in Busan in October.
Five countries have submitted proposals to organize the World Expo 2030: South Korea (in Busan), Russia (in Moscow), Italy (in Rome), Ukraine (in Odesa) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (in Riyadh).
In May, Russia withdrew its bid to host the World Expo 2030 after it invaded Ukraine.
“The countries having notified the BIE of their intention to organize World Expo 2030 have until 7 September 2022 to submit the project in the form of a candidature dossier.The BIE will then organize Enquiry Missions to assess the feasibility and viability of each candidature project submitted.The host country of World Expo 2030 will then be elected by BIE Member States, gathered in a General Assembly set to take place in late 2023, on the principle of one country, one vote,” according to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) website.
According to the BIE, “World Expos, officially known as International Registered Exhibitions, are a global gathering of nations dedicated to finding solutions to pressing challenges of our time by offering a journey inside a universal theme through engaging and immersive activities. World Expos welcome tens of millions of visitors, allow countries to build extraordinary pavilions and transform the host city for years to come.”
