Osaka Expo Concludes Successfully... Korea Pavilion Surpasses 3 Million Visitors

Showcasing Korea's Status by Blending Future Technologies and Culture
A Milestone in Establishing Korea and Japan as Collaborative Partners

The "2025 Osaka Expo," organized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency), concluded successfully. More than 3 million visitors experienced Korea’s outstanding industry and culture at the Korea Pavilion.

Visitors are watching the Korean Pavilion media facade at the Osaka Expo Grand Ring. Photo by KOTRA

KOTRA announced that a total of 25.5 million people attended the Osaka Expo, which ended on the 13th after a 184-day run, and among them, about 3.15 million visited the Korea Pavilion. In addition to showcasing technological and cultural exhibitions, the Korea Pavilion marked the 60th anniversary of Korea-Japan diplomatic normalization and hosted two Korea-Japan summit meetings during the expo, adding further significance to its presence.

The Korea Pavilion, themed "With Hearts," featured a media facade and three exhibition halls. With 2.62 million on-site visitors and 530,000 online homepage visits, the total number of visitors reached 3.15 million. This translates to an average of 17,000 visitors per day, with waiting times for entry reaching two to three hours due to its immense popularity. Over 6,000 distinguished guests from abroad, including the Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, the Crown Princess of Sweden, members of the Japanese Imperial Family, and the U.S. State Department’s APEC Ambassador, also visited the pavilion.

KOTRA emphasized that the Korea Pavilion showcased Korea’s global competitiveness by presenting exhibition content that combined future technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), renewable energy, and mobility with culture, along with hosting a variety of industrial and cultural events. According to a survey, 90% of visitors to the Korea Pavilion said their interest in visiting Korea had increased. In addition to tourism, specialized events such as the Korea Excellent Products Exhibition, investment promotion delegations, B2B forums, and AI and climate response theme week forums were held, contributing to the establishment of a new framework for Korea-Japan economic and industrial cooperation, according to KOTRA.

Students are experiencing Exhibition Hall 2 of the Korea Pavilion at the Osaka Expo. Photo by KOTRA

In particular, the expo served as a groundbreaking turning point for Korea-Japan relations. In addition to the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties, two summit meetings during the expo and the hosting of the APEC summit in Gyeongju significantly increased the demand for exchange and cooperation. With both countries having deepened mutual understanding and reached comparable economic levels, people-to-people exchanges have also reached an all-time high.

The Korea Pavilion also served as a new opportunity for Korean companies to enter the Japanese market. The digital technologies and future society solutions presented by Korea reinforced the perception that Korea is the ideal partner for addressing shared challenges such as industrial transformation and population aging. Japan expressed interest in advanced industry cooperation, including semiconductors, and hopes to collaborate on stabilizing supply chains.

Based on these achievements, the Korea Pavilion at the Osaka Expo was awarded the Bronze Prize in the special category at the World Expolympics, earning recognition from experts in exhibition, architecture, and culture.

Kang Kyungsung, President of KOTRA, stated, "The Korea Pavilion at the Osaka Expo was a platform to showcase the strength of our industry and culture to the world and to share our vision for the future. We will do our utmost to ensure that the expo’s impact expands to trade, investment, industry, culture, and tourism exchanges, serving as a foundation for our growth and enabling us to seize new opportunities."