Euisun Chung meets with Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger to ask for support in bid to host World Expo 2030

Euisun Chung, executive chair of Hyundai Motor Group, met with Eduard Heger, the prime minister of Slovakia, to ask for his support for Busan’s bid to host the World Expo 2030. The two met Friday to discuss the expo and cooperation on Hyundai’s ...

Euisun Chung, executive chair of Hyundai Motor Group, left, meets with Eduard Heger, the Prime Minister of Slovakia, to ask for his support for Busan’s bid to host the World Expo 2030 on Friday. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Euisun Chung, executive chair of Hyundai Motor Group, met with Eduard Heger, the prime minister of Slovakia, to ask for his support for Busan’s bid to host the World Expo 2030.

The two met Friday to discuss the expo and cooperation on Hyundai’s plans to expand its production of eco-friendly vehicles in the European market.

Slovakia holds presidency of the Visegrad Group, also known as the V4, which is a regional alliance of four Central European countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

Hyundai Motor Group currently runs a Kia manufacturing plant in Zilina in northern Slovakia that produces around 330,000 vehicles a year. Since its establishment in December 2006, over 4 million cars have been made in the plant.

“Busan, as the largest port city in Korea and a logistics hub connecting Eurasia and the Pacific region, is the optimal city to host the World Expo, with its experience in having hosted multiple international festivals,” Chung told Heger.

“The Busan World Expo will facilitate cooperation among members of the international society on eco-friendly life and tech innovation for a sustainable future.”

Automobile production is a staple in Slovakia, taking up 50 percent of all industrial production in the country, according to Hyundai Motor.

Having focused on the Ceed and Xceed models, Kia started producing the new Sportage model last November and the Sportage Plug-In Hybrid last February at the Zilina plant. The company will start manufacturing small and mid-sized electric vehicles (EVs) tailored to the European market starting in 2025, Hyundai Motor said.

Hyundai Motor and Kia sold a total of 821,531 vehicles in European countries this year as of September, up 6.6 percent. They are the third largest automaker after Volkswagen Group and Stellantis.

The host of World Expo 2030 will be selected by the 170 members of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in November 2023. Korea is competing against Saudi Arabia's Riyadh, Italy's Rome and Ukraine's Odesa.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]