Chair Park Soo-gwan Urges Busan to Support the Successful Hosting of the Island Expo

Island Expo Organizing Committee Holds "Island Expo Briefing Session" in Busan on the 31st

The Organizing Committee for the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo (hereinafter referred to as "the Organizing Committee") held an Island Expo briefing session on the 31st at the Crystal Ballroom on the 3rd floor of Busan Lotte Hotel, promoting the Yeosu World Island Expo to the citizens of Busan and requesting their active cooperation.

The Yeosu World Island Expo is an event under the vision of "Shedding New Light on the Value of Islands, Building Global Consensus, and Promoting Sustainable Island Development," and under the theme of "Islands: Connecting the Sea and the Future." The expo will be held in Yeosu from September 5 to November 4, with participation from 30 countries and international organizations from around the world.

The Island Expo Organizing Committee held an Island Expo briefing session on the 31st at the Crystal Ballroom on the 3rd floor of Busan Lotte Hotel, promoting the Yeosu World Island Expo to the citizens of Busan and requesting their active cooperation. Provided by the Island Expo Organizing Committee

This briefing session was organized to share the vision and preparations for the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo by Park Soo-gwan, the Organizing Committee Chair, who is a Busan-based entrepreneur originally from Yeosu, and to encourage active participation and cooperation from the local business community, citizens, and academia in Busan. The event was attended by more than 700 people, including major business leaders from the Busan region, local government officials, citizens, and members of the Yeosu hometown association.

At the briefing, the Organizing Committee provided a detailed introduction to the expo's theme, objectives, expected outcomes, and major programs.

As the goals of the Yeosu World Island Expo, the committee proposed the following: for island residents, to improve the quality of life and generate income, thereby revitalizing island communities; for Yeosu City, to leap beyond the center of the southern coast and become a world-class island and marine tourism city; at the national level, to expand island infrastructure and foster future island industries for balanced national development; and at the international level, to address the climate crisis through global solidarity and cooperation.

In addition, the Organizing Committee emphasized that the expo aims to boost the regional tourism industry by increasing the inflow of domestic and international tourists, enhance the brand competitiveness of Yeosu and the southern coastal region through the world’s first island-themed expo, and secure future growth engines after the event by building sustainable tourism content that links island, marine, and climate agendas.

Park Myung-sung, the general director, personally explained the diverse exhibition and production content encompassing island culture, ecology, and the marine industry. The event drew attention when Committee Chair Park Soo-gwan presented expo admission tickets he personally purchased to Chief Monk Simsan of Hongbeopsa Temple. To date, Park Soo-gwan has purchased approximately 20,000 admission tickets.

In his welcoming remarks, Organizing Committee Chair Park Soo-gwan stated, "The Island Expo is the world’s first event to showcase the value of islands by sharing their natural beauty, culture, and stories with the world." He stressed, "The 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo will be an international event that communicates the value and sustainability of islands to the world."

He went on to say, "As Busan is the center of Korea’s maritime capital and a core city for the economy and logistics, I hope Busan will lend its strength to the successful hosting of this expo."

He also explained that the expo will not only contribute to revitalizing the local economy and developing the tourism industry, but also serve as a key opportunity to establish a marine tourism belt centered on the southern coastal region, drawing strong agreement and support from attendees.

Business leaders from the Busan region who attended the event expressed strong agreement with the purpose of the expo and conveyed their willingness to cooperate in various ways going forward. Members of the Yeosu hometown association also pledged their active interest and participation for the development of their hometown and the success of this national event.

Kim Kwang-moon, President of the Yeosu Hometown Association in Busan, commented, "It is unusual for Busan to so actively promote an event from another region," and added, "As someone from Yeosu, I will do my utmost to ensure the successful hosting of the Island Expo."

A representative of the Organizing Committee said, "Following the agreement signed last May between Busan City and Yeosu City to ensure the success of the Island Expo, we are grateful for the great interest and participation from the private sector as well. We will do our best to make thorough preparations so that the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo can be held successfully."

Meanwhile, since being appointed as Co-Chair of the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo in December 2023, Park Soo-gwan has been making various efforts to establish close cooperation with key local governments such as Seoul and Busan, the National Assembly, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and relevant agencies and organizations to ensure the success of the expo.

In particular, Chair Park Soo-gwan is putting his utmost effort into making the Yeosu World Island Expo a success, drawing on his experience as the head of the bid and preparation committees for the 2012 Yeosu World Expo, which was also successfully hosted.

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