South Korean music sensation BTS was formally appointed as an honorary PR ambassador for the 2030 Busan World Expo on Tuesday.
It was announced last month that the septet will headline a global concert in support of their country’s bid to host the 2030 World’s Fair in the port city of Busan in October.
The nomination ceremony took place in the conference room on the 19th floor of BTS studio HYBE Co Ltd, co-organized by the 2030 Busan World Expo Bidding Committee and Busan City. The event was attended by all BTS members; South Korean Prime Minister Han Deok-soo, Co-Chairman of the 2030 Busan World Expo; Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Chairman Choi Tae-won; Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon and HYBE CEO Park Ji-won.
Prime Minister Han Duk-soo expressed his gratitude to BTS for accepting the ambassadorship for the expo. “The most essential part of our success would be the support of Korean citizens and the world community. We believe that BTS will play the most central role in the process. With the support of BTS and our people, we will be able to achieve our goal,” the Prime Minister said in an official press release from BTS’ agency BigHit Music.
KCCI chairman Chey Tae-won said he was excited to see how the music group’s participation will affect its bid for the 2030 World Expo. “We have a thousand troops on our side. At the end of last year, BTS’s online concert was attended by ARMY (BTS fan group) from 197 countries/regions, more than the number of member states of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), which is 170,” said Chey. .
Park Heong-joon, Mayor of Busan, said hosting World Expo 2030 Busan will promote national interests and become a great driving force for balanced national development. “BTS is preparing for the Global Busan Concert in October. Through the concert, I firmly believe that millions and billions of fans from around the world will also support the bid for World Expo 2030 Busan,” he said.
RM of BTS said the members are honored to be named ambassadors for World Expo 2030 Busan. “BTS will do our best to support in bringing the World Expo 2030 to Busan. From the Global Busan Concert in October, we will carry out various ambassador activities. We will also make extra efforts not only to support the nation’s bid, but also to promote the beautiful nature and culture of the Republic of Korea worldwide,” said the group leader.
“This is a meaningful opportunity for BTS and HYBE to contribute to the country’s bid for World Expo 2030. HYBE will fully support the artists with their ambassador activities and the development of Busan Metropolitan City and local pop culture,” added HYBE CEO Jiwon Park to it. Last year, popular South Korean actor Lee Jung-jae, of “Squid Game” fame, was chosen as the first public relations ambassador for the bid for Busan World Expo in 2030.
BTS also shared photos of the ceremony on their official Twitter account. “We are BTS, the PR Ambassador for the Busan World Expo 2030,” read the tweet.
The band – also consisting of Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook – had announced in June that they were taking a break to focus on individual projects. In 2021, then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in had appointed BTS as the “Special Presidential Envoy for Future Generations and Culture” ahead of the 76th UN General Assembly.
The World’s Fair is held every five years and attracts millions of visitors to the host city for six months. The last World’s Fair took place in Dubai from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, after it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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