Korean Air showcases special aircraft livery featuring Blackpink

Korean Air Lines Co. held a 2030 Busan Expo Korean Air Special Aircraft Unveiling Event at the aircraft hangar at Incheon International Airport on Wednesday.

Attendees included Han Duck-soo, the Prime Minister of South Korea, Cho Won-tae, the Chairman of the Hanjin Group, Chey Tae-won the Co-Chairman of the Busan Expo Promotion Committee and the Chairman of SK Group, Jang Sung-min, Director of the Presidential Secretariat's Future Strategy Planning Office and Woo Kee-hong, the CEO of Korean Air.

At the event, a Korean Air Boeing 777-300ER aircraft wrapped with photos of Blackpink, an internationally famous girl group, was unveiled to symbolize the hope for the successful hosting of the Busan Expo.

Starting from Thursday's KE901 flight from Incheon to Paris, the aircraft will fly around the world to promote the Busan Expo.

Earlier, Korean Air had signed a strategic partnership agreement with YG Entertainment, the agency representing Blackpink, in March to become the official sponsor of the group's world tour.

After the unveiling, representatives from the government and business, cabin crew, and flight attendants who attended the event together took commemorative photos and wished for the successful hosting of the Busan Expo.

"Last month, Patrick Specht, the President of the Administration and Budget Committee at the Bureau International des Expositions, commented that 'Busan has everything it needs to host the Expo'," Prime Minister Han welcomed. "Korean Air's special aircraft will showcase K-content and the competitiveness of South Korea, capturing the attention of people around the world," he added.  

"Korean Air will use its global network to actively endorse the Busan World Expo as a promotional ambassador, " Chairman Cho said. 

Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com