Representatives of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) have completed their Enquiry Mission as part of the examination of the Republic of Korea’s candidature to organise World Expo 2030 in Busan under the theme “Transforming Our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future”.

Members of the Enquiry Mission, led by the President of the Administration and Budget Committee, Patrick Specht, looked into all aspects of the Expo project submitted by the Republic of Korea and laid out in its candidature dossier.

Members of the Enquiry Mission, led by the President of the BIE Administration and Budget Committee, Patrick Specht, meet with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, Duck-soo Han

Over the course of five days, Members of the Enquiry Mission received detailed presentations of the candidature project, visited the proposed Expo site, and exchanged with national and local officials, as well as representatives of the business community and members of civil society.

Having arrived in Seoul on 2 April, Members of the Enquiry Mission were received by the President of the Republic of Korea, Suk-yeol Yoon, and discussed the Expo project with national political figures including the Prime Minister, Duck-soo Han, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jin Park, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, Chang-yang Lee, and the Speaker of the National Assembly Jin-pyo Kim. The delegation travelled to Busan on 4 April, where they met with the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, Seung-hwan Cho and the Mayor of Busan, Heong-joon Park, as well as with civic groups.

Members of the Enquiry Mission received detailed presentations of the candidature project

The candidature dossier submitted by the Republic of Korea outlines a vision for a World Expo addressing the fundamental changes required for the formation of a new, sustainable relationship between nature, technology and humankind. The Expo would be held between 1 May and 31 October 2030 on a 343-hectare site (including land and water areas) situated in the former industrial foothold of the North Port of Busan. The candidature committee forecasts that 160 countries and 20 international organisations would participate in the Expo, and that it would receive 34.8 million visits during its six-month opening period.

The Enquiry Mission for the Republic of Korea’s candidature is the third to be carried out as part of the project evaluation phase for World Expo 2030. Enquiry Missions for Saudi Arabia’s and Ukraine’s candidatures took place in March, and the Enquiry Mission for Italy’s candidature is scheduled later in April. The findings of the Enquiry Missions will be discussed by the BIE’s Executive Committee in May 2023, which will decide to forward to the General Assembly the candidatures it considers to be feasible and viable. In November 2023, during the 173rd General Assembly of the BIE, the host country of World Expo 2030 will be elected via secret ballot by BIE Member States, on the principle of one country, one vote.

World Expos, officially known as International Registered Exhibitions, are global gatherings of nations addressing universal challenges of our time. These unparalleled global events offer a journey inside a chosen theme through engaging and immersive activities. Taking place every five years and lasting up to six months, World Expos welcome tens of millions of visitors, allow countries to build extraordinary pavilions, and transform the host city for years to come.

The most recent World Expo, Expo 2020 Dubai, took place under the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, and received over 24 million. The next World Expo will take place in Osaka, Kansai, Japan, between 13 April and 13 October 2025, under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”.