Multi-awarded boy band BTS will serve as ambassadors for the upcoming 2030 Busan World Expo and plan to hold a global concert in support of the city’s bid to host the next edition of the World Expo in seven years.
According to the press release, Busan City and HYBE signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Busan City Hall in preparation for the Busan Expo 2030. Busan Mayor Park Heong-Joon, HYBE Chairman Bang Si-Hyuk, and CEO Park Ji-Won attended the signing ceremony.
Busan Metropolitan City Mayor Park Heong Joon said, “I’d like to express my sincere appreciation to the members of BTS and HYBE for accepting to be the ambassadors of the World Expo 2030 in Busan. The group’s support as ambassadors will be incredibly helpful in stepping up our efforts to bring the World Expo to Busan.
HYBE Chairman Bang stated, “I am well aware of how important it is to host the 2030 Busan Expo, which is an important national project. With the hosting of the Expo as an opportunity, we will work together to develop the local culture in Busan and K-Culture.”
It’s been decided that various negotiation activities will be conducted by taking advantage of the characteristics of the International Exposition Organization’s (BIE) 170 member countries to determine the venue of the Expo 2030.
BIE’s secretariat aims to visit Busan early next year. A BTS member will personally guide them and serve as a public relations ambassador. They will also be presenting at the BIE General Meeting. In November next year, it’s decided that they will attend the BIE General Assembly, where they would vote to select the venue for the 2030 Expo. They would also deliver a message to ask for support for the event in Busan.
BTS plans to actively cooperate with domestic and public relations by taking photos and videos for digital publicity in hosting the 2030 Busan Expo. They would also distribute the promotional video through the official networking service (SNS). HYBE decided to participate in cultural projects promoted by Busan to build cultural infrastructure and advance culture. They will cooperate in attracting private partners in the cultural content industry.ย
Source:ย Yonhap News,ย Busan City Government Official Twitter Handle, Bandwagon Asia
