The World Expo might have a quaint quality for many in the English-speaking world – recalling events such as the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee, perhaps most familiar through its appearance in The Simpsons, where the exposition’s symbolic Sunsphere has become a disused storage site for wigs. But in large parts of the world, the exhibitions are still big business and, increasingly, politically fraught. The expo is considered by many governments to be, along with the Olympic Games and football’s World Cup, one of the “big three” events that can elevate a country’s global standing.
That was the goal of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, whose country has hosted two of the three events and aimed to complete the trifecta with a 2030 Expo in the second city of Busan. Despite enlisting boy band BTS and Gangnam Style performer Psy, as well as meeting nearly 100 world leaders to bolster support, Busan’s bid was trounced by Riyadh in a vote last week that shocked the country, with Saudi Arabia claiming 119 ballots to 29. (Rome fared even worse, with 17.)
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you