South Korea’s failed Busan World Expo bid and ramifications — Pilot Ep. 1

South Korea suffered a landslide defeat in the bid to host the World Expo 2030, securing only 29 votes against Saudi Arabia's 119. This result sparked widespread criticism of the ROK government for its failed bid while also highlighting concerns about implications for South Korean diplomacy, domestic politics and cultural export strategy.

The episode unpacks the Korea Pro team’s observations from the night of South Korea’s final presentation and the vote count to the reactions of government officials and the general public and a rare apology speech from President Yoon Suk-yeol.

This week’s episode features the following members of the Korea Pro team:

Editorial Director Jeongmin Kim (@jeongminnkim)
Editor John Lee (@koreanforeigner)

About the podcast: The KOREA PRO Podcast is a weekly 15-minute conversation hosted by Jeongmin Kim and John Lee, diving deep into the most pressing stories shaping South Korea — and dissecting the most complicated ones for professionals monitoring South Korean politics, diplomacy, culture, society and technology.

Stay informed, stay ahead, and never miss a beat on Korean affairs that matter. Uploaded every Friday.

This episode was recorded on Nov. 30, 2023.

Audio edited by Lina Park