LG’s top brass joins forces to garner support for Busan’s Expo bid

LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo (left) poses with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at the prime minister's office in Warsaw, Poland on Oct. 3, 2022. (LG Group)

As South Korean business leaders play a key role in attracting support for Busan’s bid to host the World Expo 2030, LG Group’s top executives traveled around the world to win votes.

In October last year, Chairman Koo Kwang-mo visited Poland to meet with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, requesting the country’s support for Busan’s Expo bid.

“Busan is South Korea’s second largest city, and it is also where LG first started its business. Busan is also where many other Korean conglomerates were founded, the ones that have driven the country’s industrial growth,” Koo was quoted as saying during the meeting with the Polish leader.

He also built up anticipation for Busan to win the bid, using the occasion to discuss hope and the future, both core values to the Expo.

Visiting the country where sales and production operations of LG’s key affiliates, including LG Electronics, LG Energy Solution and LG Chem, are located, Koo expressed gratitude for the Polish government’s full support.

LG Electronics Chief Executive Officer Cho Joo-wan, who was chosen as a special envoy by Korea’s foreign minister for promotional activities related to the Expo bid, also visited a number of countries to win support.

Cho visited Brazil on March 13 to meet with Rodrigo Pacheco, who serves as the president of Brazil’s Federal Senate and the National Congress.

Traveling to Chile the next day, Cho asked for support in meetings with Claudia Sanhueza, the country’s under-secretary for international economic relations, and Sebastian Gomez, the director general for bilateral economic affairs at Chile's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Along with the efforts made by the leadership, LG has also launched promotional advertisements on large displays in a number of global tourism spots, such as Times Square in New York and Piccadilly Circus in London, since June last year.

According to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the nation’s top 10 conglomerate chiefs have traveled more than 2.5 million kilometers over the past few years to garner support for Busan’s Expo bid, which is equivalent to the distance of 64 1/2 trips around the Earth.

The World Expo Bidding Committee, a business-led civilian organization consisting of 11 companies, including Samsung, SK and LG, has visited 84 countries for talks related to the bidding efforts, KCCI added.

By Jo He-rim(herim@heraldcorp.com)