On the 28th of last month, there was widespread disappointment among many citizens of South Korea due to the country's failure to secure the hosting rights for the 2030 World Expo in Busan. The criticism is flowing, attributing this failure to the government's shortcomings in conveying its message effectively and a lack of awareness.

During the plenary session of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee held on the 30th, Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin expressed regret and a sense of responsibility, stating, "I feel sorry and a sense of responsibility because we did not achieve positive results this time." In response, Representative Yoon Sang-hyun of the People Power Party remarked, "Frontline officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have found it challenging, and I hope there is some reflection on the lack of 'groupthink' from above." Additionally, Representative Park Hong-geun of the Democratic Party commented strongly, saying, "I had expectations because the presidential office mentioned the possibility of a turnaround even until the last moment, but both I and the citizens were deceived," and criticized it as a severe blow to the pride and dignity of the Republic of Korea, a torment to the hopes of the entire nation. (Hankyoreh)

Subsequent to the release of South Korea's final presentation results, controversy has arisen. Following the conclusion of Ambassador Na Seung-yeon's presentation, the background music in the replayed video was Psy's hit song "Gangnam Style," released in 2012. Subsequently, figures such as conductor Chung Myung-hoon, soprano Jo Su-mi, TVXQ's Kim Junsu, and SHINee's Taemin appeared, stating, "Your choice," as part of the presentation.

However, in the approximately 30-second video, the actual images of Busan were only highlighted for about 9 seconds. With confirmation that the cost of the presentation ran into the minimum tens of billions, criticism has been raised, stating, "The budget was not properly utilized to showcase the characteristics of Busan." Meanwhile, President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed a sense of responsibility, stating, "The failure to secure the hosting rights is entirely my shortcoming," conveying a sense of regret. (KBS)

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