'150,000 Visitors on Opening Day Yet Orderly Conduct'... What Happened at Suncheon Garden Expo?

Over 280,000 Visitors in 3 Days from Opening Ceremony

Citizens and Spectators Say "Traffic Is Less Congested Than Expected"

"They say over 150,000 people came in just one Saturday, but surprisingly, the traffic isn't that bad." "Unlike other regional festivals or events, there are no illegal street vendors in sight." These are the admiring remarks from visitors who attended the garden expo last weekend.

The Suncheonman International Garden Expo Organizing Committee (Chairman Noh Gwan-gyu) reflected on the overall operation of the expo over the two days following the opening ceremony on the 1st, sharing these public reactions.

[Photo by Suncheon City]

On the first day of the opening, 150,024 visitors came to the expo. This is about five times more than the 31,553 visitors on the opening day of the expo 10 years ago, yet traffic flow was even smoother.

Compared to September 20, 2013, when around 100,000 visitors flooded the expo and the area from Namseungnyong-ro near the expo site to Baekgang-ro near NC Department Store was paralyzed to the point of resembling a parking lot, this is quite remarkable, according to organizing committee officials.

This is attributed to the dignity of 280,000 Suncheon citizens who actively participated in the two-day vehicle restriction and poster campaign (promoting public transportation, bicycles, and walking), the use of advanced technology for traffic flow analysis and guidance, and a 134% increase in parking spaces compared to 2013, reflecting the efforts of public officials to minimize visitor inconvenience.

Additionally, anticipating large crowds, a special crackdown period on illegal street vendors was established from 40 days before the expo opening until its conclusion.

This was intended to secure safe pedestrian rights for visitors and protect the local commercial district from corporate street vendors who do not pay taxes.

Thanks to this thorough preparation, it was difficult to find illegal street vendors anywhere within the expo grounds this time.

This is a stark contrast to the 2013 expo, when battles with illegal street vendors took place in parking lots and auxiliary facilities.

Safety measures also stand out. This expo is the longest-running event held domestically since the COVID-19 pandemic.

With many visitors expected even before the opening, cutting-edge smart systems such as people counting systems, safety drones, and wearable CCTV have been introduced to ensure thorough prevention of safety accidents.

An organizing committee official explained, "Suncheon already accumulated much experience 10 years ago by hosting the international garden expo for six months, the first of its kind in Korea."

"Based on this, various stakeholders including the organizing committee, Suncheon city, related organizations, and citizens have worked together with one heart to prepare meticulously in areas such as traffic, parking, accommodation, food, and safety," they added.

They also expressed confidence, stating, "Through the dignified operation of the expo, which will become the face of Suncheon, we will set the standard for expos in Korea."

Meanwhile, this expo, which took a successful first step within two days of opening, will be held for 214 days until October 31, and is expected to invigorate the city as an expo where ecology drives the economy.

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.