[Planning]"World's First Islands Expo"... Yeosu Heats Up with 200 Days to Go Before Opening

South Jeolla Province and Yeosu City operating as one team

Island cuisine, camping, and other experiences engaging all five senses

A sustainable event designed with post-expo utilization in mind

Scenic view of an island in Yeosu (Jeokgeumdo). Provided by Yeosu World Islands Expo Organizing Committee.

This coming September, Yeosu in South Jeolla Province will be transformed into a vast public forum and festival venue where the wisdom and future of islands around the world will be discussed. With 200 days left until the opening of the 2026 Yeosu World Islands Expo, preparations for its successful hosting are now in full swing. It carries special significance as the world’s first international exposition with the theme of “islands,” going beyond the level of a simple local festival.

According to the Yeosu World Islands Expo Organizing Committee on February 11, the expo, under the theme “Islands Connecting the Sea and the Future,” will be held for two months from September 5 to November 4, across four zones: the Jinmo District in Dolsan, Geumodo, Gaedo, and the Yeosu World Expo site.

Islands on the front line of the climate crisis, as spaces for future solutions

This expo re-examines “islands” as spaces where humanity’s shared challenges such as the climate crisis, sea level rise, ecological conservation, and regional extinction emerge first. The intention is not only to see islands as objects of protection, but to define them as spaces where solutions for humanity’s future begin, and to share this with the world.

So far, the organizing committee has confirmed participation from 25 countries, including Japan, the Philippines, France, Greece, Kenya, Palau, and Ecuador, as well as three international organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. It is expected to easily achieve its initial target of attracting 30 countries and international organizations. Countries from Africa and Oceania, as well as from Asia and Europe, have expressed their intention to participate, demonstrating that the theme of “islands” is resonating globally.

In addition, the committee is stepping up efforts to attract overseas tourists, including by holding a briefing session later this month for travel agencies and media outlets in the Los Angeles area in the United States, and plans to finalize the list of participating countries by the end of March and move on to fleshing out the content.

The identity of “365 islands”... An expo created by citizens

The reason Yeosu was chosen as the host city lies in its identity as a city with “365 islands.” Yeosu City has nurtured its islands as both living spaces and future resources through policies such as “365 Islands” and “Seomseom Yeosu.” Combined with its experience in successfully hosting the 2012 Yeosu World Expo and its proven infrastructure, this has earned recognition for its capacity to host international events.

Above all, the biggest driving force behind this expo is “citizen participation.” It is being prepared as a bottom-up festival led by citizens, merchants, and island residents, rather than as a government-driven event.

With 200 days left until opening, local merchants’ associations and the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation branches have voluntarily launched promotional campaigns, and Yeosu City is developing stay-type tourism products such as “One Night, Three Meals on an Island” and “Island Healing Table Certification,” linking them to income generation for residents. Local institutions, organizations, and companies are already lining up to purchase tickets in advance.

Four zones where cutting-edge technology coexists with raw nature

The expo venue will be operated in a multidimensional way across four zones, centered on the main venue in the Jinmo District of Dolsan, and including Geumodo, Gaedo, and the Yeosu World Expo site.

Eight exhibition halls will be installed at the main venue. The theme pavilion, which will serve as the expo’s landmark, will be built as a massive multimedia tetrahedron measuring 40 meters by 40 meters and 20 meters in height, presenting the present and future of islands through media art and advanced visual technology. The Future of Islands Pavilion will showcase future mobility technologies such as urban air mobility (UAM), while the Island Marine Ecology Pavilion will feature blue carbon and cases of marine ecosystem restoration.

At the secondary venues on Geumodo and Gaedo, visitors will be able to experience the “inner life” of the islands. Programs designed to engage all five senses will welcome visitors, including trekking along the Geumodo Bireong-gil trail (18.5 kilometers), which has been selected as one of the “100 Beautiful Roads of Korea,” as well as kayaking and tidal flat experiences at the island campsite created on Gaedo.

50% construction progress on track... Thorough planning for transport, accommodation, and post-expo use

With 200 days remaining until the opening, the construction progress for the basic infrastructure of the main venue is in the 50% range and is proceeding smoothly. The organizing committee plans to complete the main facilities by July, conduct trial operations in August, and be fully prepared to welcome visitors.

Transportation measures to ensure visitor convenience have also been detailed. A temporary parking lot with 8,000 spaces will be secured near the main venue, and shuttle buses will be deployed on 12 routes, with 30 buses on weekdays and up to 60 buses on weekends, in order to minimize traffic congestion.

Plans have also been drawn up for utilizing the legacy after the expo ends. The theme pavilion, island theme zone, and art photo zones will not be dismantled but will instead be used as tourism assets, serving as a driving force for sustainable regional growth.

An official from the organizing committee said, “The Yeosu World Islands Expo will not be a one-off event, but a starting point for new international cooperation and regional growth centered on islands,” adding, “Over the remaining 200 days, we will do everything we can to ensure that approximately 3 million visitors can rediscover the charm of Yeosu and the value of islands.”

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