POSCO Group Devotes Its Full Resources to Support Busan's Bid for World Expo 2030

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• With the commitment to serve as ambassadors supporting Busan's bid for World Expo 2030, all POSCO Group employees actively contribute to the group's daily efforts to attract this global event.
• Chairman Jeong-woo Choi of POSCO Group reached out to global society for support, and the group's top management is actively engaged in promotional activities leveraging global networks.
• POSCO Group harnesses available resources, including domestic and international facilities, media, and advertising, to actively promote the attraction of World Expo 2030.

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- POSCO Group, a leading global eco-friendly future materials company in Korea, is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to support Busan's bid for World Expo 2030 through a wide range of promotional activities, making the most of its domestic and international business facilities and global network.

All POSCO Group Employees Actively Contribute to Attracting World Expo 2030 to Busan in Their Daily Work

With the shared ambition of being ambassadors promoting Busan as the next host city for World Expo 2030, virtually all employees are proactively contributing to the group's daily endeavors to attract this global event.

They have incorporated the Busan World Expo promotional logo into their business cards, naturally highlighting the significance of attracting the Expo to their business contacts. Moreover, when sending emails, they include the Busan Expo logo and the group's message of support in the email footers, ensuring that Busan Expo is seamlessly integrated into their everyday internal and external communications.

In addition, the group has infused messages of support for Busan Expo into various business documents produced internally, as well as in calendars for both internal use and as gifts, maximizing their promotional efforts.

POSCO Group's Top Management Channels Their Full Capabilities as Private Diplomats to Attract World Expo 2030 to Busan

Drawing on the networks and expertise cultivated through global business activities, POSCO Group's top management is actively engaged in promotional efforts to bring World Expo 2030 to Busan.

As a member of the Civilian Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan, Chairman Jeong-woo Choi personally visited Argentina in March of the previous year and held discussions with Argentina's President Alberto Fernández on potential cooperation in the secondary battery materials business. During this meeting, he sought Argentina's support for Busan Expo.

Following this, the group has been actively engaging with political and business representatives from seven major negotiating countries, including Argentina, Indonesia, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Mexico, and Chile. In July 2022, the group established a task force team and conducted negotiations and promotional activities with ambassadors from key countries where the group's overseas facilities are located. These efforts continue in full swing.

Vice Chairman Tak Jeong of POSCO INTERNATIONAL leads the task force team and serves as an Executive Councilor of the Civilian Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan. He held meetings with Santiago Cafiero, Argentina's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in September of the previous year and accompanied Prime Minister Duck-Soo Han on his official visit to three South American countries, including Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina, in October 2022.

In March of this year, Vice Chairman Jeong also visited Uzbekistan and met with Hayrulla Bozarov, the Governor of Fergana, Oybek Khamraev, the Vice Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade, and Kakhramon Yuldashev, the Vice Minister of Agriculture, to solicit their support for Busan Expo. Additionally, Vice Chairman Jeong held discussions with diplomatic officials from various countries, including Alfredo Carlos Bascou, the Argentine Ambassador to Korea; Carlos Penafiel, the Mexican Ambassador to Korea; and Dmytro Ponomarenko, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Korea.

POSCO Group's Global Business Facilities Serve as the Launchpad for Winning World Expo 2030

Furthermore, POSCO Group has transformed its facilities located in various countries worldwide into launchpads for garnering support and interest from local residents for Busan World Expo 2030.

Since its acquisition of Hombre Muerto Salt Lake in Salta Province, Argentina, in 2018, POSCO Group has actively collaborated with Argentina to secure lithium, a key material for secondary battery electrode materials. The group has been promoting Korea's bid for World Expo 2030 not only to local residents but also to international visitors. The group installed promotional banners in various high-traffic areas in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, as well as public places in Salta, where the lithium business is situated, to widely publicize its support for Busan Expo.

In Uzbekistan, where POSCO INTERNATIONAL engages in cotton cultivation and processing, tailored promotional activities for Busan World Expo are ongoing. In August of the previous year, the company sponsored a local performance of the opera "Chunhyang" to celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Uzbekistan. In October, it promoted Busan Expo during the groundbreaking ceremony for a youth education center in Fergana Province. Furthermore, POSCO INTERNATIONAL placed banners on major buildings in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, to raise local awareness and foster a friendly image for Busan World Expo.

POSCO Group Executes Advertisements and Media Collaborations for Busan World Expo 2030

POSCO Group is also actively engaging the general public through media channels to encourage their participation and support.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the completion of first phase of Pohang Steelworks on July 3, POSCO Group placed advertisements in major newspapers and regional publications. These advertisements showcased POSCO Group's efforts to lead humanity towards a sustainable future and included a message of support for Busan World Expo 2030.

In August, POSCO Group produced a new brand slogan video advertisement, which was released in theaters nationwide and on YouTube. The video begins with an exotic view of the lithium salt lake in Argentina, where POSCO Group pursues its lithium business, and concludes with a message of support for Busan World Expo. This video advertisement is scheduled to reach audiences during peak cinema seasons, around the summer vacations.

POSCO Group has used the exteriors of its domestic offices, outdoor billboards, and electronic displays for placing advertisements supporting Busan World Expo 2030 in Pohang, Gwangyang, and Seoul. Additionally, the group shared a message of support through its official website and POSCO Newsroom, as well as through online platforms and media outlets. Furthermore, at the construction sites of POSCO I&C, soundproof walls have been transformed into promotional spaces for Busan Expo, and banners have been displayed on streetlights along major roads in Songdo, Incheon, to increase the involvement of local residents and the general public.

POSCO Group is committed to dedicating its efforts to support Busan until the final decision on the host city is reached at the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) General Assembly, scheduled for late 2023.

SOURCE POSCO Holdings