Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will make a four-nation European trip next week to promote South Korea’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southeastern city of Busan, his office said Friday.
Han will depart for France on Sunday as part of the weeklong trip that also includes stops in Denmark, Croatia and Greece, according to his office.
Han will participate in the Busan Expo Symposium 2023 in Paris on Monday, coinciding with the 50-day mark before the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) selects the host city for the quinquennial global event.
During the symposium, Han will engage with BIE members and promote Busan’s competitiveness in addressing pressing global issues, such as climate change and digital transformation, according to the office.
Han will also meet with his French counterpart, Elisabeth Borne, during his stay in Paris.
Following his time in the French capital, the prime minister will head to Copenhagen on Tuesday for a two-day visit.
During his stay in Denmark, Han will hold ta
lks with his Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, to discuss expanding cooperation between the two countries.
The next leg of Han’s journey will take him to Zagreb, marking the first high-level official visit to Croatia.
Han will hold a summit meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic to discuss collaboration in sectors such as defense and technology, according to the office.
On Thursday, Han will make an official visit to Athens, spanning three days, which also includes a summit with his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The BIE plans to select the host city for the World Expo in late November. The current candidates for the 2030 gathering are Busan, Riyadh of Saudi Arabia and Rome.
Source: Yonhap News Agency