Earlier this week, BTS members were officially appointed as the brand ambassador of the Busan 2030 World Expo. The ceremony took place in Seoul, with officials presenting BTS members RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook with the prestigious honour. Now, a new report claims that Jimin and Jungkook’s fathers had a vital part in BTS members receiving the honour.
South Korean publication Joongang Ilbo published a report in which it stated Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook’s parents, who are born in Busan, who put in the most in the process of commissioning BTS as the ambassador. It is reported that after Park Hyung-joon’s appointment as the mayor of Busan in April 2021, he has been trying to rope in BTS to become the ambassadors.
Despite actor Lee Jung-jae being the current Busan promotional ambassador, the mayor and deputy mayor of economics Lee Sungkwon pursued HYBE for BTS to come on board as the ambassador. Park Seong-hoon, the former deputy mayor of Busan, was also part of the persuasion process. An official of the city is quoted in the report stating that HYBE asked BTS members for their individual opinion on the subject and they agreed.
However, the pursual also got Jimin and Jungkook’s fathers involved. The report stated that Park Seong-hoon, who was the deputy mayor at the time, visited Jimin’s father and persuaded him to have a glass of wine with him while they chatted. It is said that Jungkook’s father also heard about the news via Jimin’s father and said, “I will try.”
After BTS members were appointed as the brand ambassadors, Jimin’s father said, “I’m happy to be a Busan citizen. Jimin really liked it too.”
The septet was officially announced as the ambassadors for the World Expo 2030 Busan, Korea, by the Bid Committee during a ceremony on Tuesday, July 19, at entertainment company HYBE’s headquarters in Seoul.
