No Issues with Dolsan Jinmo District as Main Venue for Yeosu World Island Expo

Reflecting the Opinions of Experts and Residents in the Planning Stage

Expo Venue Deemed Too Small, Facilities Require Remodeling

Jinmo District Offers Symbolism as an Island and Advantages for Post-Expo Utilization

The 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo Organizing Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Organizing Committee) reiterated on the 23rd that the decision to designate Dolsan Jinmo District as the main venue for the Yeosu World Island Expo, scheduled for September, was made after considering opinions from all sectors of society and various circumstances.

The Organizing Committee explained that the decision to select 'Dolsan Jinmo District'—the main venue that has recently sparked controversy—was made by gathering input from citizens and multiple experts at the time of the expo application in 2020.

During the establishment of the basic plan for the Island Expo, it was found that the Expo venue had limited exhibition space, making it unsuitable for hosting the expo, and more than 70% of the exhibition halls were leased, making facility utilization difficult. In particular, the committee added that the aging state of the facilities would require significant remodeling costs.

Prime Minister Kim Minseok is inspecting the preparation status of the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo at the auditorium of the Yeosu City Youth Marine Education Center on the 23rd.
Photo by Jeonnam Province

On the other hand, the Dolsan Jinmo District (the 10th largest island in Korea) was considered advantageous due to its symbolism as an island and because, as city-owned land, it allowed for easy site acquisition and smooth allocation of exhibition spaces suitable for the expo concept. The committee also stated that, in terms of post-expo utilization, such as revitalizing tourism and regional development, Dolsan Jinmo District offered significant benefits.

The Island Expo exhibition facilities will consist of eight exhibition halls. Each hall requires a minimum of 1,800 square meters and up to 2,100 square meters. The landmark of the Island Expo, the Theme Island, will be 1,600 square meters, while the Marine Ecology Island, Future Island, and Culture Island exhibition halls will each be 1,800 square meters, and the International Exchange Island will be 2,100 square meters.

The Expo venue consists of four exhibition halls, three event spaces, and sixteen seminar and small meeting rooms. The exhibition halls range from 441 to 1,240 square meters, and the event spaces range from 546 to 1,180 square meters, serving as locations for various performances and meetings.

Additionally, there are thirteen seminar and meeting rooms, each under 200 square meters, intended for small-scale meetings. The committee analyzed that the available exhibition space is too limited to host the Island Expo.

As a result, the Organizing Committee has decided to designate Dolsan Jinmo District as the main venue for the Island Expo, while the Expo venue will serve as a secondary venue for linked programs utilizing existing facilities.

The Organizing Committee and Yeosu City stated that they will complete the construction of the event venues by July, enhance the expo content, operate tourism programs linked to the islands, improve the environment of island areas, and thoroughly prepare to welcome visitors in each sector, in order to ensure the successful hosting of the expo.

Meanwhile, on this day, Prime Minister Kim Minseok and Jeonnam Province Governor Kim Youngrok visited Yeosu, received a briefing on the expo preparations, and toured the main venue, Dolsan Jinmo District, exchanging various ideas for the successful hosting of the event.

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