Dreams Come
True for Yeosu

Entire city goes wild in celebration of 2012 Expo win as bars and restaurants offer free drinks and food all night

Yeosu has beaten finalists Tangier, Morocco and Wroclaw, Poland for the right to host the 2012 World Expo in a Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) vote on Nov. 27 (KST).
The southwestern coastal city, which lost to Shanghai for the 2010 World Expo bid, won by a slight margin in its second attempt, 77-63, over Tangier in the final round of voting. The third candidate, Wroclaw, was eliminated in the first round with 13 votes.
The three-way race ― which, near voting date, was virtually narrowed down to just Yeosu and Tangier ― was close to the very end, as a rush of new countries with undecided votes were added as BIE members just months, weeks and even days before the 142nd General Assembly at the Palais des Congres conventional hall in downtown Paris.
From 98 member states in May, the total climbed to 140 over the past six months. With 36 from Europe, 32 from the Americas, 30 from Asia and Oceania, 12 from Middle East and 30 from Africa,
Yeosu seemed to have been backed most by the Asia and Oceania and Eastern European countries, but vote details are unknown due to the international organization's secret ballot system.
"Yeosu's success came from the common ground that the international community agrees it is an urgent time to seek solutions to environmental issues that humankind is faced with,"Prime Minister Han Duck-soo told a press conference immediately after the results were announced. As Han said, organizers echoed that Yeosu's environmental theme, "The Living Ocean and Coast,"helped the Jeolla Province city top the other two candidates. Tangier's theme was a cultural, peace-centered one and Wroclaw focused on the leisure activities in world economies.
"The Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea will be a global festival that suggests new alternatives for the future of humankind,"said Bid Committee Chairman Kim Jae-chul, promising that Korea will organize a successful International Expo that will invite people from all over the world to discuss and learn more about the critical theme.
In Yeosu, a city of 320,000, people were jubilant as their city was chosen to host the international event, Yonhap News said.
Celebration erupted outside the Yeosu City Hall where thousands of people gathered and cheered despite the chilly weather. Some burst into tears, Yonhap reported.
"I am really happy, as Yeosu citizens desperately want to host the World Expo,"42-year-old housewife Lee Yoon-ju was quoted by Yonhap as saying.
Organizers say about 10 million people are expected to visit Yeosu to take part in the world's third-largest event to be held for three months in the summer of 2012.
"The expo won't just end as a one-time thing, but last as an ongoing effort with the Korean government, BIE and United Nations helping underdeveloped countries cope with environmental problems,"said Han, referring to the "Yeosu Project."The initiative, funded by the Korean government, budgets an initial $10 million and another $20 million for a five-year program to help developing countries deal with global warming.
Although backers of runner-up Tangier walked out the conference hall with forced smiles, many of them acknowledged Yeosu's head-on efforts.
"Yeosu did a good job. It did a good job,"said a representative of one of the African states, who declined to be named, citing the secret ballot agreement. "We expect to see a strong expo in Korea."Now that Yeosu snatched the official ticket to host the world fair, bid committee officials said an organization committee will kick off soon to begin full-fledged developments for the event.
An estimated 1.6 trillion won is to be funneled to construct the expo complex that will span over 400 million square meters, while 12 trillion won has been budgeted to build the necessary infrastructure, including railroads, roads and an airport, by 2011.
Officials are planning to create an eye-catching centerpiece, comparable to Paris"Eiffel Tower, which was built for the 1889 expo, to attract tourists for years to come.
"We have far more work cut out for us than what we did for the past 500 days,"said Han, as he stressed that all the promises made throughout the campaign will be honored.
Yeosu's win makes it the third world event hosting rights Korea has successfully clinched this year, following the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and the 2011 Daegu World Athletics Championships.
Han, in a ceremony in Yeosu to celebrate the successful endeavor to land the city's rights to host the 2012 Expo, said it is indeed exciting to win the expo for 'your'city. "It was the result of all of those concerned, most of all the citizens of the city who prayed and worked hard to bring the event to Yeosu,"Han said.
"In the process, we have become one, for which I am so proud,"Han continued. He said the expo will be a festival for all of Korea and also one for all citizens of the world to celebrate together.
Yeosu Expo, furthermore, will help the Korean economy to make another jump toward progress. It will create 10 trillion won worth of productivity and 90,000 new jobs. During its three-month run, nearly 8 million visitors will come to enjoy the event, therefore considered worth more than both the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 2002 World Cup that the country hosted.
It will also be a big help to the development of the southern coastal region. From Mokpo to Gwangyang, Masan and Busan, the southern coastal areas will be linked economically, rapidly ushering in the age of the Southern Coast, where tourism, leisure and recreation will be developed.
The Expo will also be an occasion to boost Korea's position in the international community of nations. The world supports the expo theme, 'The Living Sea and Coast.'The government will do its best to take advantage of the occasion to work toward solving the problem of climate change that all mankind is faced with. The government has been focusing on it as a major national task. nw

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and other Yeosu Expo Bid Committee members make triumphant arrival in Yeosu Nov.29. Behind the prime minister is Chairman of Hyundai Automotive Group Chung Mong-koo, who also is honorary chairman of the bid committee.(photo right) Chairman Kim Jae-chul of the Yeosu Expo Bid Committee.

Baek-do Island in Yeosu