Channel NewsAsia 23 Nov 07;
SEOUL : Backed by a 30 million dollar pledge from the South Korean government, the city of Yeosu promises an international campaign on climate change as the centrepiece of its bid to host the 2012 World Expo.
The south coast city of 321,000 people is competing against Tangiers in Morocco and the Polish city of Wroclaw for an event it believes will deliver a multi-billion dollar boost to the local economy.
Members of the Bureau International des Expositions (International Exhibitions Bureau) vote next Monday evening Paris time to select the winner.
South Korea, ever eager to raise its global profile, is pulling out all the stops to support the bid.
It will mobilise "all levels of national support and endeavour to organise a world class global festival," said Prime Minister Han Duck-Soo, who headed a delegation which left this week for Paris for last-minute lobbying.
Yeosu is pinning its hopes on South Korea's proven record in hosting world events and on its theme: "The Living Ocean and Coast: Diversity of Resources and Sustainable Activities."
Amid rising concern over the dangers of global warming, many BIE members see the theme as timely, said bid committee chairman Kim Jae-Chul.
"The Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea will seek solutions to common issues which the international community is faced with, such as climate change and rising sea levels," Prime Minister Han said.
The central government plans to donate 10 million dollars to get a "Yeosu Project" under way, and another 20 million for a five-year programme starting in 2008 to help developing countries cope with global warming.
Yeosu has also bolstered its bid by offering more than 500,000 dollars in financial support to help poor countries join the expo.
The city "envisions the harmonious co-existence of industrial development and the environment," Kim told AFP.
It boasts clean seas despite the presence of the country's second largest container terminal, a steel plant and industrial complexes in the region.
The city lost the 2010 expo to Shanghai. "With full support from government officials and businessmen, we have done our best. We should not fail again," Kim said.
If it secures the three-month event, South Korea hopes to attract nearly eight million tourists from home and abroad.
Kim said the expo would create 90,000 jobs and bring an estimated 14 trillion won (15.3 billion dollars) in long-term direct and indirect economic benefits.
Apart from the environmental message, he cited the nation's past experience in hosting high-profile international events such as the 1988 Olympics and the 2002 World Cup.
Earlier this year the city of Daegu won the right to host the 2011 world outdoor athletics championships and Incheon was picked to host the 2014 Asian Games.
But organisers still forecast a close race with Tangiers.
Yeosu has been backed by countries in the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America, while Morocco has capitalised on its geographical advantage to win support from European and Islamic countries, Kim said.
President Roh Moo-Hyun has said Yeosu's successful bid would contribute to peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia.
Reinforcing that message, Yonhap news agency said Wednesday that North Korea has been accepted as a BIE member and can take part in Monday's vote.
The North is likely to support Yeosu's bid and boost its chance of securing the event, the agency quoted a foreign ministry official as saying.- AFP/ir
