LG boosts support for Busan’s Expo bid

LG Group has set up promotional digital signboards in key transportation hubs, including Incheon International Airport, Seoul Station and Busan Station, to garner support for Busan's World Expo bid. (LG Corp.)

LG Group, the nation’s fourth-largest conglomerate, has joined forces to promote Busan’s bid for the 2030 World Expo.

During a week-long visit by an on-site inspection team from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the intergovernmental regulating body for World Expos, LG is carrying out diverse promotional activities to raise spirits and support for the port city’s strong desire to host the Expo, one of the largest international gatherings.

Since the BIE delegation’s arrival last week, LG followed their route, setting up digital signage advertisements targeting both the visiting team and Korean citizens along the way.

The advertisements displayed on large TV screens and electronic billboards tout Busan as a city that is leading the way to the future. They have cropped up all around the country across various transportation hubs, including Incheon Airport, Seoul Station and Busan Station.

In particular, the ad displayed at Seoul Station encompasses 10 large electronic billboards in the center of the station, catching the eye of all passersby.

LG also greeted BIE officials in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, by setting up a fancy exhibition booth, titled "Better Future for All with LG," where LG companies showcased diverse futuristic technologies, including the LG Omnipod, an autonomous driving mobile cabin concept car, and Aquarium in Busan, a micro-LED signage installation made by LG Magnit.

LG’s Expo ads have reached beyond Korea to other corners of the world. Since last year, the group has been displaying promotional videos on large screens in popular tourist spots around the world such as Times Square in New York, Piccadilly Square in London and Warsaw Chopin Airport in Poland.

LG Electronics also conducted promotional activities on the occasions of two major industrial trade shows -- the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas in January and the IFA Berlin 2023 last August.

LG’s top executives have also joined forces to contribute to the concerted government and private efforts to win support for Busan’s Expo bid around the world.

In September, the group convened the CEOs of all affiliates to discuss promotional activities at home and abroad, as well as ways to better appeal to each country to win their support. Since then, top executives have traveled around the world to meet senior government officials in person and ask for their backing in Busan’s Expo bid.

LG said it would continue efforts to promote Busan as the most ideal city to host the World Expo by highlighting its unique balance of modern and traditional attractions along with its stunning natural charms.

By Yu Ji-soo(jisooyu123@heraldcorp.com)