A South Korean delegation has presented its reasoning for why the 2030 World Expo should be held in its southern port city of Busan. 

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the first round of competitive presentations among five bidders for the event was held during a virtual general assembly meeting of the organizing body, the Bureau International des Expositions(BIE), on Tuesday. 

During the 20-minute presentation, South Korean representatives, including Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, stressed the city’s merits and attractions while President Moon Jae-in promised the government’s all-out support for the bid in a video message.  

Busan is competing with four other cities to host the major global gathering - Rome of Italy, Odessa of Ukraine, Riyadh of Saudi Arabia and Moscow of Russia. 

An official from the trade ministry said the bidding committee will draft strategies to maximize Busan’s strengths by analyzing the presentations from its competitors and prepare for the remaining assessment process.