SK Innovation's banner hangs on the wall inside Las Vegas Convention Center in Nevada, Tuesday, to promote Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030. Courtesy of SK Innovation
By Park Jae-hyuk
SK Innovation will take advantage of CES 2023 to let more than 100,000 participants from over 170 countries become familiar of Busan's bid to host World Expo 2030, the oil refiner said Tuesday.
SK Group Chairman and Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Chairman Chey Tae-won, who leads the civilian committee to assist Busan's World Expo bid, is expected to ask global business leaders to support Korea's second-largest city's efforts, during his visit to the world's most influential tech event held in Las Vegas from Thursday (local time) to Sunday.
According to SK Innovation, a large banner measuring 12 meters in width and 3.6 meters in height was hung on a wall in the Las Vegas Convention Center to promote Busan's World Expo bid. Featuring a picture of the sea off of Busan, the banner reads, "World Expo 2030 Busan, Korea Solution Platform for All."
"The message shows the official name of the Busan Expo, symbolizing the city's willingness to become a 'platform for all,' which can address issues such as climate change and the digital transformation through solidarity and cooperation," an SK Innovation official said.
SK Innovation also put two QR codes on the banner. The one on the lower right corner is linked to the official website for Busan's World Expo bid, while the other, on the lower left corner, is connected to information about SK Group's exhibition booth at CES 2023.
The company emphasized that it has made continuous efforts for Busan to host the World Expo. Last year, the oil refiner wrapped KTX trains with ads for Busan's World Expo bid. It also livestreamed the first sunrise of this year in Busan.
About a week after CES 2023, the SK Group chairman is scheduled to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland from Jan. 16 to 20. He is likely to promote Busan to the forum's participants, so that the port city can be selected by members of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in November as the venue to host World Expo 2030.
The chairman will also participate in the Korea Night event to be held by the KCCI on the sidelines of the WEF, to introduce the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's economic policies and Korea's advanced technologies, and to ask the event's participants to support Busan's World Expo bid.
