Busan Companies Travel 29 Hours and Spend 20 Million Won to Promote Expo Bid in the Caribbean
By Yoo Jeong-hwan | defiant@kookje.co.kr
Published: February 22, 2023, 17:39:57 | The Korea Times (International Edition)
“It’s a tough journey that takes 29 hours of flight and lasts over ten days, but we rolled up our sleeves because we believed it would help bring the 2030 World Expo to Busan.”
Five export companies from Busan are visiting five Caribbean nations to secure support votes for the 2030 Busan World Expo bid. The destinations—small island nations such as Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis—are located north of Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea.
Even with one or two stopovers, a one-way flight takes about 29 hours. Each participant must personally pay around 20 million won for airfare and be away from their businesses for more than ten days.
Notably, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)—which includes these countries—announced support for Saudi Arabia last year, so the Busan delegation faces the special task of changing their stance.
According to the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) Busan Office, Chairman Koo Ja-yeol and five Busan-based export companies will depart for the Caribbean on February 25 as part of a private economic cooperation delegation to promote the 2030 Expo.
From February 25 to March 12 (14 nights and 16 days), the delegation will visit Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The participating companies are:
- Daehun INC. (CEO Kang Chul-ho)
- Dongkwang Trading Corporation (CEO Lee Sang-hoon)
- Ocean Entec Co., Ltd. (CEO Song Hae-hwa)
- Dongseo P&L Co., Ltd. (CEO Cho Bu-rae)
- KODUCT Co., Ltd. (CEO Shim Sul-jin)
Due to scheduling, three companies will visit three countries, while the remaining two will cover all five.
These are all small island nations, each with populations between 50,000 and 200,000—roughly equivalent to a single district of Busan. Saint Kitts and Nevis has about 50,000 residents, Antigua and Barbuda 90,000, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 100,000, Grenada 110,000, and Saint Lucia 180,000. Saint Lucia’s land area is about the same size as Seoul.
The delegation, led by Chairman Koo, will meet with the prime ministers and foreign ministers of the five nations to deliver a personal letter from President Yoon Suk-yeol and request their support for Busan’s Expo bid.
Kang Chul-ho, chairman of Daeheun and head of the Busan City Council’s 2030 Expo Promotion Committee, said:
“Though it will be a difficult journey hopping between island nations, I decided to participate envisioning the Expo in Busan.
Each country, despite its small population, has one equal vote like the U.S. in the decision for the host city. We’ll do our best to secure those votes.”
Kang will return to Korea early on March 6 after visiting three countries to attend the city council session.
Lee Nam-kyu, chairman of the KITA Busan Business Council and CEO of Gwangmyeong Ink Manufacturing, who was invited but unable to participate for health reasons, commented:
“It’s meaningful that local exporters who love Busan have voluntarily come together for the 2030 Expo bid.
The Busan trade community will continue to support the effort.”
The five companies will hold a departure ceremony at Gimhae International Airport at 5:30 a.m. on February 25, then join the main group at Incheon Airport.
Their outbound route includes stopovers in New York and Miami before arriving in Grenada, while the return trip passes through Atlanta.
South Korea primarily exports automobiles and consumer goods to these countries and imports seafood and other primary products.
Though bilateral trade volume accounts for only 0.002% of Korea’s total trade, the visit aims to expand economic cooperation through public-private partnership initiatives.
Busan Companies Travel 29 Hours and Spend 20 Million Won to Promote Expo Bid in the Caribbean
By Yoo Jeong-hwan | defiant@kookje.co.kr
Published: February 22, 2023, 17:39:57 | The Korea Times (International Edition)
“It’s a tough journey that takes 29 hours of flight and lasts over ten days, but we rolled up our sleeves because we believed it would help bring the 2030 World Expo to Busan.”
Five export companies from Busan are visiting five Caribbean nations to secure support votes for the 2030 Busan World Expo bid. The destinations—small island nations such as Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis—are located north of Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea.
Even with one or two stopovers, a one-way flight takes about 29 hours. Each participant must personally pay around 20 million won for airfare and be away from their businesses for more than ten days.
Notably, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)—which includes these countries—announced support for Saudi Arabia last year, so the Busan delegation faces the special task of changing their stance.
According to the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) Busan Office, Chairman Koo Ja-yeol and five Busan-based export companies will depart for the Caribbean on February 25 as part of a private economic cooperation delegation to promote the 2030 Expo.
From February 25 to March 12 (14 nights and 16 days), the delegation will visit Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The participating companies are:
Due to scheduling, three companies will visit three countries, while the remaining two will cover all five.
These are all small island nations, each with populations between 50,000 and 200,000—roughly equivalent to a single district of Busan. Saint Kitts and Nevis has about 50,000 residents, Antigua and Barbuda 90,000, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 100,000, Grenada 110,000, and Saint Lucia 180,000. Saint Lucia’s land area is about the same size as Seoul.
The delegation, led by Chairman Koo, will meet with the prime ministers and foreign ministers of the five nations to deliver a personal letter from President Yoon Suk-yeol and request their support for Busan’s Expo bid.
Kang Chul-ho, chairman of Daeheun and head of the Busan City Council’s 2030 Expo Promotion Committee, said:
“Though it will be a difficult journey hopping between island nations, I decided to participate envisioning the Expo in Busan.
Each country, despite its small population, has one equal vote like the U.S. in the decision for the host city. We’ll do our best to secure those votes.”
Kang will return to Korea early on March 6 after visiting three countries to attend the city council session.
Lee Nam-kyu, chairman of the KITA Busan Business Council and CEO of Gwangmyeong Ink Manufacturing, who was invited but unable to participate for health reasons, commented:
“It’s meaningful that local exporters who love Busan have voluntarily come together for the 2030 Expo bid.
The Busan trade community will continue to support the effort.”
The five companies will hold a departure ceremony at Gimhae International Airport at 5:30 a.m. on February 25, then join the main group at Incheon Airport.
Their outbound route includes stopovers in New York and Miami before arriving in Grenada, while the return trip passes through Atlanta.
South Korea primarily exports automobiles and consumer goods to these countries and imports seafood and other primary products.
Though bilateral trade volume accounts for only 0.002% of Korea’s total trade, the visit aims to expand economic cooperation through public-private partnership initiatives.