2010 World Expo

Competition to host the `2010 World Expo` has begun in a full scale. International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE), which can make decision on the exhibition place, held a general meeting yesterday in Paris, France. 1000 people including the BIE Secretary General Vincent G. Loscertales and the representatives from 88 member countries attended the meeting. Countries, which applied to host the 2010 World Expo, were competing heatedly in order to host the Expo.

President Kim Dae-Jung appealed the member countries to support Korea through the screen-image message by saying that ``soon, trains which depart from Yeosu will come to Paris through Pyongyang, North Korea, China, and Russia. Korea World Expo will contribute to the world peace.`` The exhibition place for the 2010 World Expo will be decided by the secrete votes of 88 member countries in the general BIE meeting next December.

Jung Woo-Taek Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries said at the keynote speech, ``the World Expo should be held at the last site of the Cold War in the world in order to achieve the global harmony.`` The Korean representatives, including Jung Mong-Gu, began to set the atmosphere in order for Korea to host the Expo through the individual contacts with other representatives of the member countries. Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET) anticipates that the amount of 16 trillion won for the production induction, the employment of 230,000, and 30,000,000 of tourists per year. World Expo is one of the three biggest international events along with Olympic and World Cup Games. The 2005 World Expo will be held in Ichi, Japan.

daviskim@donga.com