Chairman Chey Tae-won
Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, clarified the rationale for hosting the 2030 Busan World Exposition (Expo).
According to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chairman Chey held a briefing for foreign journalists on July 26 to share his reflections on the activities related to the bid for the 2030 Busan Expo and his future plans.
Chairman Chey stated during the discussion, “As the only country that has moved from receiving Official Development Assistance (ODA) 70 years ago at the time of the Korean War ceasefire, it is now time to reciprocate.” He further emphasized, “We are pushing for the Expo as a symbol of reciprocity, but we also intend to turn it into a solution platform to solve international issues, not a traditional technological showcase.”
In response to questions regarding the relationship between the Korean War and the Expo, Chairman Chey clarified, “Rather than paying back the aid received like paying interest, I thought it was proper to repay the favor by proposing something new that humanity needs and creating solutions. Some people talk about the economic effect of 61 trillion won for Korea, but it is not about making money from hosting the Expo, but about contributing back to mankind. I believe that doing that correctly is much more important.”
Chairman Chey focused on introducing WAVE, a solution platform established by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in March, to justify hosting the Busan Expo.
WAVE is a voluntary solution platform that proposes and develops ideas through collective intelligence. The Chamber of Commerce plans to build an online national pavilion for all global countries by November and gather groups together that can solve problems. Currently, national pavilions for 61 countries have been established.
Chairman Chey explained the purpose of establishing WAVE, saying, “The speed of solving problems is too slow compared to the problems we face. There need to be more people trying to solve the accumulating problems, and more platforms are needed to solve them.”
Chairman Chey also shared an anecdote about requesting support for the Busan Expo from Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, alongside former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, as part of his efforts to persuade Chinese-speaking countries.
Chairman Chey revealed, “Although nothing is confirmed yet, I plan to discuss this issue [the Busan Expo bid] in-depth during my next visit to China.” He added, “There is a gala dinner scheduled for the Expo on Oct. 9, where we are planning performances, including K-pop, to promote the Busan Expo and persuade as many as possible.”
In response to a question about whether the roles of the Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Chairman of SK Group conflict, Chey clarified, “I have been doing this (Chairman of the Chamber) for three years now and I don’t think there’s a conflict. It has nothing to do with serving the company’s interests.”
Chairman Chey continued, “I don’t think there’s a conflict of roles, but if there is, I will quit the job where the conflict arises,” repeatedly emphasizing that there are no conflicts of interest.