[The Insight]
崔泰源 會長, 世界 各地 돌며 誘致 活動
競爭 프레젠테이션서 아이디어 내기도
訪問客 交通手段으로 UAM 活用 計劃

SK그룹은 ‘2030 釜山世界博覽會(엑스포)’ 誘致를 위해 崔泰源 會長을 中心으로 그룹의 全體 力量을 모아 積極的인 誘致活動에 나섰다.

崔 會長은 지난해 5月 釜山엑스포 誘致 支援 民間委員長으로 就任한 뒤 같은 해 7月부터 國務總理 傘下 ‘2030釜山世界博覽會 誘致委員會’에서 한덕수 國務總理와 함께 共同委員長을 맡고 있다. 崔 會長은 SK그룹 會長, 大韓商工會議所 會長에 이어 釜山엑스포誘致 民間委員長까지 ‘1人 3役’을 하고 있다.

崔 會長은 올해 初부터 美國, 스위스, 프랑스 等을 찾아 重要人士들과 만나 釜山엑스포 誘致 弘報에 邁進 中이다. 崔 會長은 1月 스위스 다보스에서 열린 世界經濟포럼(WEF·다보스포럼)에 參席해 알렉山다르 부치치 세르비아 大統領, 주카노비치 몬테네그로 大統領 等을 만났다. 이어 프랑스 파리로 건너가 파리 駐在 國際博覽會機構(BIE) 會員國 大使 等 10餘名과 만남을 가졌다.

崔 會長은 지난해 6月과 11月에는 파리에서 열린 BIE 總會에 한 總理와 함께 參席해 2, 3次 競爭 프레젠테이션을 支援하기도 했다. 特히 3次 發表에선 넷플릭스를 통해 全世界的인 人氣를 누린 드라마 ‘오징어 게임’과 歌手 防彈少年團(BTS)을 앞세운 發表 아이디어를 直接 내기도 했다.

SK그룹도 釜山엑스포 誘致 活動에 積極 나섰다. SK는 지난해 6月 最高意思協議機構인 수펙스追求協議會 傘下에 副會長級 最高經營陣으로 構成된 월드엑스포(WE) 태스크포스(TF)를 設立했다. 조대식 수펙스追求協議會 議長이 TF長과 아시아 擔當을, 유정준 수펙스追求協議會 美洲對外協力總括 副會長이 現場支援팀長을 맡았다. 장동현 SK㈜ 副會長 (企劃弘報팀長), 박정호 SK하이닉스 副會長(美洲·日本·西유럽 擔當), 김준 SK이노베이션 副會長 (中東·아프리카·大洋洲·東유럽 擔當) 等도 直接 뛰고 있다.

兆 議長은 지난해 7月 ‘太平洋 島嶼國 포럼 頂上會議’가 열린 皮脂를 찾아 수랑겔 휩스 팔라우 大統領과 시아오視 小발레니 통가 總理를 만나 支持를 當付했다. 張 副會長은 지난해 9月 카자흐스탄, 에스토니아, 리투아니아, 크로아티아를 잇달아 訪問해 政府 關係者들과 面談을 가졌다. 金 副會長은 지난해 8月 폴란드를 찾았고, 같은 해 11月에는 外交部 長官 特使 資格으로 中央아프리카共和國과 콩고民主共和國을 찾아 釜山엑스포 誘致 支持를 要請했다. 朴 副會長은 지난해 8月 팔라우 大統領, 有 副會長은 지난해 12月 수리남 大統領을 만났다.

SK그룹은 一般 國民을 對象으로 釜山 엑스포를 알리는 데도 힘을 쏟고 있다. SK이노베이션은 지난해 11月 한국철도공사의 高速鐵道(KTX) 列車 一部의 外觀에 가장 앞 操縱칸부터 마지막칸까지 總 20칸 (388m)에 達하는 釜山엑스포 誘致 祈願 메시지를 附着한 列車를 運行했다. 列車에는 ‘SK가 2030 釜山世界博覽會 誘致를 祈願합니다’ ‘2030 釜山世界博覽會 誘致, 偉大한 挑戰에 SK가 함께 합니다’ 等의 메시지를 담았다.

SK텔레콤은 釜山世界博覽會 誘致委員會, 韓華시스템, 韓國空港公社, 티맵모빌리티와 業務協約(MOU)을 맺고 엑스포 誘致에 成功할 境遇 2030年 實際 交通手段으로 都心航空交通(UAM)을 선보이겠다는 비전을 提示했다. UAM은 300~600m의 高度 內에서 垂直 離着陸이 可能한 機體를 活用해 都心 上空을 運航하는 交通 體系로, SK텔레콤은 訪問客의 實質 交通手段으로 活用한다는 計劃이다.




Chairman Chey promotes Busan Expo during global tour

Ideas for Expo bid discussed at competitive presentations

SK to operate UAM as transportation for Expo visitors

SK Group is gathering its capabilities across the group to help win the bid for the World Expo 2030 Busan under the leadership of its Chairman Chey Tae-won.

As the head of the private committee under the Prime Minister’s Office, Chairman Chey has been serving as a co-chair of the Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan along with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo since July. Chey is playing triple roles as the chairman of SK Group, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the head of the private committee to support the Expo bid.

Chairman Chey has been working hard to promote the World Expo 2030 Busan since early this year by visiting key figures in the U.S., Switzerland, and France. He attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January and met Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic among others. Chey then traveled to Paris and had meetings with over 10 ambassadors of the member countries of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) residing in the city.

Chairman Chey attended general meetings of the BIE held in Paris in June and November last year along with Prime Minister Han to support the second and third competitive presentations. In particular, he proposed presentation ideas inspired by the globally popular Netflix series “Squid Game” and the world-famous South Korean boy band BTS for the third presentation.

SK Group is also proactively engaging in activities to host the Expo 2030. The group set up a World Expo (WE) task force consisting of vice chairman-level top executives under the SUPEX Promotion Committee, the group’s highest consultation organization, in June last year. SUPEX Promotion Committee leader Cho Dae-sik will serve as the head of the task force and be in charge of Asia, and general manager of Cooperation in the Americas of the committee, and Vice Chairman Yoo Jeong-joon was appointed as the head of the On-site Support team. Other active members include SK Vice Chairman Jang Dong-hyeon (as the head of the Planning and Promotion team), SK Hynix Vice Chairman Park Jeong-ho (in charge of the Americas, Japan, and Western Europe), and SK Innovation Vice Chairman Kim Joon (in charge of the Middle East, Africa, Oceania, and Eastern Europe).

President Cho visited Fiji during the Pacific Islands Forum in July last year and met with Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr. and Tonga Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni, asking for their support. Vice Chairman Jang toured Kazakhstan, Estonia, Lithuania, and Croatia in September last year and had meetings with relevant government officials. Vice Chairman Kim visited Poland in August last year and visited the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a special envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in November of the same year and asked for support for Busan’s expo bid. Vice Chairman Park met with the Palauan president in August last year and Vice Chairman Yoo met the Surinamese president in December.

SK Group is also working hard to promote the World Expo 2030 Busan to the general public. In November last year, SK Innovation operated Korea Train eXpress (KTX) trains of the Korea Railroad Corporation, which consist of 20 cars (388 meters in length), with messages to promote the expo bid attached from the very front control car to the last one. The trains had messages, such as ‘SK wishes Busan to host the World Expo 2030’ and ‘SK joins the great challenge to win the bid for the World Expo 2030.’

SK Telecom signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan, Hanwha Systems, Korea Airports Corporation, and Tmap Mobility and proposed a vision to operate Urban Air Mobility (UAM) as an actual transportation means in 2030 if Busan wins the expo bid. UAM is a transportation system that operates aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing at an altitude of 300 meters to 600 meters. SK Telecom plans to use it as a practical transportation mode for visitors.


홍석호 記者 will@donga.com
Hong Seok-ho will@donga.com