Saudi Riyadh is ahead of the game
In the runoff election, if you absorb the votes, you will win.
The government, Busan City, and the business community are embarking on a ‘last-minute bid to attract’ 50 days ahead of the decision on the venue for the ‘2030 World Expo (Expo)’. Although the government admits that it is struggling compared to its rival Saudi Arabia, it believes that a ‘last-minute reversal’ is possible and plans to focus its diplomatic campaign to attract the bid starting this month in Paris, where the General Assembly of the Organization for International Exhibitions (BIE) is being held. The Expo location will be decided by a vote of 182 member countries at the BIE general meeting held in Paris, France on November 28.
A senior government official said in a phone call with the Dong-A Ilbo on the 8th, “The exact vote is unknown, but Saudi Arabia appears to be ahead as we started our bid activities late,” adding, “If we do not receive more than two-thirds of the votes (122 votes), there will be a runoff.” “There are also observations that if we go to the second round of voting and absorb Italian support votes here, the results may change,” he said. Currently, Busan, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Rome, Italy are competing. Although Busan is ahead of Rome and inferior to Riyadh, it is believed that there is a possibility of a reversal if the votes that supported Rome in the first round are brought in during the runoff election.
Accordingly, the government established a strategy to absorb the votes of European countries that are likely to support Italy in the first round of voting by concentrating on persuading them through a diplomatic campaign in Paris for the remaining period. It is known that Prime Minister Han Deok-soo’s participation in the ‘2030 Busan World Expo Symposium’ held in Paris on the 9th (local time) and carrying out attraction activities were based on this calculation.
In response to Saudi Arabia’s ‘oil money’ offensive, the government plans to appeal for support from developing countries by highlighting Korea’s new and renewable energy technology, resource development technology, and transfer of economic growth know-how. Presidential Future Strategy Planning Director Jang Seong-min said, “What the world is curious about is Korea’s unique secret to rapid economic growth,” and added, “We will share this experience, which is equivalent to how to catch fish, with the international community.”
伊 Persuading EU countries to absorb support votes
阿 – Central and South America attracted by Korea’s growth model
Focus on capturing the votes of the BIE delegation in Paris
“So far, the public and private sectors have traveled around the world 200 times, met with all member countries, and worked to persuade them.”
With the vote on the 9th to determine the location of the 2030 World Expo (Expo) approaching 50 days away, a high-ranking government official said this on the 8th. After the Yoon Seok-yeol government took office in May last year, the government and businesses became a ‘one team’ and have been investing national capabilities into hosting the Expo for over a year. President Yoon also met with 89 heads of state, or half of the 182 member countries of the Organization for International Expos (BIE), this year alone and appealed for their support for the Expo.
Pessimism was widespread at the beginning due to the fact that the country entered negotiations a year later than Saudi Arabia, a strong bid competitor, and due to the preemption effect of Saudi Arabia’s ‘oil money’ offensive, but the evaluation within and outside the government is that it has now followed Saudi Arabia to a level where it is worth trying. . The government plans to make a last-minute spurt during the remaining 50 days by taking advantage of its comparative advantages in global value, economic development, infrastructure, industrial technology such as K-culture, and cultural fields. An official from the Presidential Office said, “We are not considering any other options other than hosting.”
According to its own analysis of the situation, the government is said to have tentatively determined that Busan is dozens of votes behind Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and ahead of Rome in Italy. Currently, Busan, Riyadh, and Rome are competing to host the site. The government decided that the best strategy would be to prevent cities that received more than two-thirds of the votes (122 votes) from being selected in the first round of voting to be held at the BIE general meeting in Paris, France on the 28th of next month (local time) and proceed to the second round of voting, which is a runoff. there is. If Saudi Arabia fails to secure more than two-thirds of the votes of the 182 member countries in the first round of voting in which Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Italy participate, a second round of voting will be held targeting the cities with the first and second most votes, and the city with the most votes will be held. It is worth aiming for a reversal here when deciding on the location of the Expo. A government official said, “Italy has also announced that it will not give up midway, so it is unlikely that Saudi Arabia will be selected as the host in the first round of voting.”
The government is persuading European Union (EU) countries to absorb the votes of Italy, which is expected to lead in the first round, in the second round. A senior government official said, “This is because these countries were not swayed by Saudi Arabia’s oil money, which jumped into hosting the event earlier than us, and they value industrial infrastructure capabilities and global value that fit the purpose of the Expo.”
Since Africa (49 countries) and Latin America and the Americas (32 countries), which have a large number of member countries relative to the area of the continent, can become ‘casting boats’, we are making every effort to turn back the votes concentrated on Saudi Arabia in these continents. Differentiating itself from Saudi Arabia’s financial support, the government has proposed sustainable cooperation measures, such as transferring economic growth know-how and technology based on Korea’s rapid growth experience, to countries in these regions, many of which are developing countries.
For the remaining 50 days, the government plans to conduct last-minute negotiation activities centered on Paris, France, where the BIE headquarters is located. Until now, the Prime Minister, ministers of each ministry, and companies have personally visited countries with voting rights to appeal for support, but they will focus on diplomatic warfare against the BIE delegation gathered in Paris. A government official said, “In some developing countries, the national position and the results of the delegation vote may differ, so it is important to capture the last-minute vote in Paris, where the delegations from each country are active, in order to block such variables.”
Prime Minister Han Deok-soo also plans to attend the ‘2030 Busan World Expo Symposium’ held in Paris on the 9th and appeal to figures from over 100 countries to host the event. In this last event, which can effectively capture the votes of member countries before voting, the government plans to focus on promoting Busan’s charm by utilizing K-culture such as K-pop and K-content. A large-scale K-pop concert will be held in France on the 15th.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.