Samsung is promoting the Korean city of Busan as the host for World Expo 2030 with every opportunity it gets, and one such opportunity is the recent courtesy call on the Busan Goodwill Ambassador, Nike Okundaye on the 56th anniversary of the Nike Art Gallery.
As part of the Korea Republic’s efforts at securing the hosting right for the 2030 Busan World Expo scheduled for May 1 to October 31, 2030, the country, through its embassy in Nigeria, on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, unveiled the renowned Nigerian artist and curator, Nike Okundaye, as its Goodwill Ambassador.
Samsung’s delegation who were at the glamorous Nike Art Gallery, Lekki, Lagos, further promoted South Korea’s candidacy bid with a view to making Busan World Expo 2023, a dream come true for the country.
World Expo is a fair that takes place only every five years, with its location changing every time. The next Expo is set to take place in 2025 in Japan, but the location for Expo 2030 has yet to be decided, which is why Samsung is doing its best to vote in the Korean city of Busan.
The Republic of Korea, in 2021, submitted a letter of candidature to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) to organize World Expo 2030 in the city of Busan with the theme: “Transforming our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future”. The voting for the 2030 World Expo site selection is scheduled for this November 2023.
Busan, a prominent port city, has an enviable history of holding mega global events such as the Asian Games and APEC Summit, which it hosted in 2002 and 2005 respectively.
Busan also serves as a notable transportation and logistics hub and a connecting passageway from the Eurasian continent to the Asia-Pacific via its airports, high-speed railways, top edged ports and other infrastructure. As the cultural nexus of the region, Busan is reputed to be a popular city of cultural festivals, arts and film.
It has successfully hosted many events such as the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), Busan Fireworks Festival, One Asia Festival and a global K-Culture Pop Music Festival.
The municipality has also played host to memorable conferences like the 2011 Busan World Development Institute General Assembly, 2014 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, 2014 &2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit, 2015 IDB Annual Meeting and the 2022 International Forwarders Associations (FIATA) World Congress.
Besides epitomising the proposed theme, the candidate city, with a population of about 3.5 million and average of 40 million tourists visiting annually, is strategically located on the southeastern tip of the Korean peninsula and boasts of well-equipped infrastructure.
Charlie Lee, Managing Director, Samsung Nigeria, who led the delegation thanked Nike Okundaye who is rallying the support of Nigeria in promoting the Republic of Korea and the candidacy of Busan in Nigeria and the entire West Africa.
Responding, Nike thanked the Samsung team for the visit. She applauded Samsung for the confidence the business has in Nigeria. She prayed that Busan would win the hosting rights.
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