Yoon attends official reception to promote Expo bid

PARIS, June 21 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee on Wednesday attended an official reception organized to promote South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in its southeastern city of Busan.

The reception took place at a sports center in Issy-les-Moulineaux, just outside Paris, where a general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the international body in charge of overseeing the World Expo, was held this week.

The reception is held once by each candidate bidding to host the Expo before the 179 BIE member states cast their votes in November. The two other cities -- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Rome, Italy -- held their own receptions on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

Yoon and Kim met with delegates from BIE member states during the reception and once again conveyed South Korea's strong wish to host the Expo, according to the presidential office.

In his welcoming remarks, Yoon requested the delegates' support for Busan as he stressed South Korea's commitment to giving back to the international community.

More than 400 people attended the reception, including the delegates and members of the Paris diplomatic corps. South Korean business leaders, including Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, were also present to rally support, as was rapper Psy, who is best known for his viral hit "Gangnam Style."

Psy was among the speakers who delivered a presentation in support of the Busan Expo at the BIE general assembly the previous day. Yoon also gave a speech in English.

The reception featured some of the best samples of Korean culture, including various Korean fusion dishes prepared by two-star Michelin restaurant Mingles, and a performance by South Korean b-boy group Jinjo Crew.