[비즈한국] Last year, a proposal emerged for the southern coastal cities of Busan, Gyeongnam, and Jeonnam to jointly host a World Expo. As of now, it remains a suggestion, with no concrete discussions or agreements in place. Above all, the upcoming local elections in June are the key variable. The current terms of regional government heads end in June; thus, the pursuit of a joint Expo depends on the will of those newly elected.
Before Discussing Joint Hosting, Integration of Busan and Gyeongnam Must Be Decided First
At an expanded executive meeting last November, Gyeongnam Governor Park Wan-su stated, "At the '2025 Southern Coast Future Vision Forum' held at BEXCO in Busan, Gyeongsangnam-do, Busan, and Jeollanam-do agreed to push for the 2040 World Expo, centered on the southern coast," adding, "If prepared in line with the completion of the Yeosu undersea tunnel and Gadeokdo New Airport in 2031, it will be a major turning point for the development of the southern coast linked to the Expo."
In civil society, there is strong criticism about discussing a re-attempt before even reflecting on the causes of the failed Expo bid. In response, Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, while publishing the '2030 Busan World Expo Bid White Paper' last November, remarked, "I apologize that matters in the planning and discussion phase were suddenly made known to the citizens in an unexpected situation," adding, "Policy decision-making comes before deciding on a re-attempt. We plan to decide whether to proceed with another attempt after fully going through official public opinion gathering processes, such as public hearings and debates."
There is a slight difference in stance between Busan and Gyeongsangnam-do. While Gyeongsangnam-do is proactive about the joint Expo, Busan appears cautious. Even at a meeting in January of this year, Governor Park Wan-su mentioned, "Things are not progressing due to the upcoming local elections, but we should form a Task Force (TF) and prepare when the opportunity arises." Conversely, Mayor Park Heong-joon has expressed his intention to re-pursue the Expo in various media interviews, but he has not mentioned a joint bid.
The variable is the integration of Busan and Gyeongsangnam-do. On April 14, they held a press conference announcing that they had proposed a 'Special Act for the Establishment of the Gyeongnam-Busan Integrated City and the Creation of an Economic and Industrial Capital.' Gyeongsangnam-do stated, "Based on this special bill, the two city/provinces intend to go through a public deliberation process for residents, confirm the final will of the citizens through a referendum, and do their utmost to achieve integration by 2028."
Even if Busan and Gyeongsangnam-do integrate, discussions with Jeollanam-do remain. While Busan and Gyeongsangnam-do have expressed their positions, at least directly or indirectly, regarding a joint bid, Jeollanam-do has not stated an official stance. The integration process between Jeollanam-do and Gwangju could also be a variable. Unlike the Busan-Gyeongnam discussion, the integration of Gwangju and Jeollanam-do has progressed significantly; the 'Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated City' is scheduled to launch on July 1.
Given the June 3 local elections, there is no guarantee that the current policy direction will be maintained. In Busan, Jeon Jae-soo faces off against Mayor Park Heong-joon, while in Gyeongsangnam-do, former Governor Kim Kyung-soo competes against Governor Park Wan-su. For the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated City mayor, the Democratic Party has confirmed Rep. Min Hyung-bae as its candidate, while the People Power Party has confirmed former Rep. Lee Jung-hyun. Among these, Mayor Park Heong-joon and Governor Park Wan-su are relatively active in re-promoting the Expo. In contrast, other candidates have not expressed clear positions regarding the Expo.
A public official working in a region discussed for the joint Expo hinted, "There was talk among working-level staff at regional governments to consult on a joint bid, but it was just talk, and nothing concrete emerged, so it faded away. It seems that whether or not to pursue a joint bid will be decided based on the situation after the local elections."
Realistic Difficulties Such as Transportation and Costs Are Not Minor
Even if an agreement to jointly host is reached, realistic problems such as transportation, site selection, and layout must be overcome. Perhaps due to these difficulties, it is hard to find cases where an Expo was co-hosted. While the Osaka-Kansai Expo was held in Japan in 2025, that name was used to distinguish it from the 1970 Osaka Expo, and it was effectively held in Osaka.
The regions currently being discussed as joint Expo sites include Gangseo-gu in Busan, Gimhae-si in Gyeongsangnam-do, and Yeosu-si in Jeollanam-do. While Busan and Gimhae share a border, Yeosu is relatively far away. The distance between the Gangseo-gu Office in Busan and the Yeosu City Hall is over 180km, which is not a distance one can travel lightly. Although construction of the Hallyeo undersea tunnel connecting Yeosu and Namhae-gun in Gyeongsangnam-do is being pushed as Governor Park Wan-su mentioned, even if completed, the physical distance will not be significantly reduced. Even with special transportation arrangements, tourists would have to endure inconvenience.
Operational difficulties are also expected. First, deciding where to place the control tower, the operations headquarters, will not be easy, as the other two cities may object. Furthermore, cities without the headquarters will still need a minimum number of personnel to manage the event. For this reason, the operating costs are likely to be higher than those of a conventional Expo.
However, there are positive factors. Yeosu has facilities built during the 2012 Yeosu Expo, which could help save costs. There is also the symbolism of an Expo connecting the entire southern coast. Attention is focused on whether the region can overcome these realistic difficulties and succeed in jointly hosting the Expo.