Yeosu Expo to Create New Maritime Tourism Horizons

Global event to be held in Yeosu from May 12 to Aug. 12, 2012 under the theme The Living Ocean and Coast

With less than nine months to go for the opening of Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea, Yeosu, the southwestern-most city of the nation, is doing its utmost to make the expo a success.
Currently, 99 countries have confirmed their participation in Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea, to be held in Yeosu from May 12 to Aug. 12, 2012 under the theme The Living Ocean and Coast, and negotiations for attracting more counties, including the Philippines and Mexico, are underway, the Organizing Committee for Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea said. Eight international organizations including the United Nations, as well as Korean companies, such as Samsung, SK, LG, GS Caltex, Lotte and POSCO, have also decided to participate in the expo.
Yeosu's preparations for hosting the Expo are expected to gain momentum as Minister Kwon Do-youp of the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) and Chairman Hong Joon-pyo of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) visited the Organizing Committee for the Expo on Aug. 19 and pledged to provide full support. The delegation also toured the Expo's major exhibition facilities now under construction, including the Big-O, to be utilized as a core facility of the Maritime Cultural Complex to express the theme of the Expo and to stage large-scale events.
GNP Chairman Hong said, Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea is the Republic of Korea's national project, not a project of the ruling party or opposition party, so we'll extend our full support to make the Expo a success, since the project is one for making Yeosu a center for ushering in the era of the South Coast. MLTM Minister Kwon said, Local governments should join forces in collaborating and bringing synergetic effects so as to make the Expo a success, and the MLTM plans to provide full support to make the Expo a success and transform Yeosu into a city of maritime leisure and tourism after the Expo is over. The Expo will highlight the Theme Pavilion, to be built on the sea for the first time in the world, and the International Pavilion, where more than 100 countries will participate, the Big-O, which is a waterfront stage, and the nation's biggest aquarium as well as a wide variety of exciting sightseeing attractions.
Visitors to the 2012 Yeosu Expo will be given opportunities to experience the present and future of oceans at exhibition pavilions fitted with high-end information technologies.
To exhilarate Korean and international visitors, the organizing committee will combine nature and technology to promote the expo's theme The Living Ocean and Coast.
Kang Dong-suk, chairman of the Organizing Committee for Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea, said, The Expo will highlight the wise development of the ocean and coastal areas for the sustainable growth of the planet. He said it will offer a festival in which there will be displays on the ocean with top-quality services and a number of cultural events.
Kang said the Expo will not only serve as a golden opportunity for Korea to enhance its national standing to the global community, but also for Yeosu to emerge as a global maritime tourism destination.
FASCINATING ATTRACTIONS ― The Korea Pavilion will be built in a way that exhibits the country's vision to project the ocean and coastal areas as a new growth engine. Many exhibits in the pavilion will feature the event's theme and the excellence of Korean culture and high-end information technology at the same time, the committee said.
The Marine Life Pavilion will offer a rare opportunity for visitors to take a close look at a variety of maritime species, including endangered ones such as the Beluga whale, Baikal seals and sea dragons, the committee said. The aquarium will remain in operation after the event to become a leading tourist attraction of the city.
Among the attractions spectators cannot miss are the Big-O, which is the first ever waterfront stage at an expo, where more than 3,200 performances, cultural events and other forms of entertainment events will take place during the festival, as well as the Expo Digital Gallery (EDG), which is an open-format, 600-meter-long exhibition hall that links the high-speed KTX train station with the expo venue.
To guarantee easy access to the event by public transportation, the government will extend the railroad for the KTX closer to the expo venue by late this year, enabling people in the northern part of the country, including Seoul, to reach the expo site in three hours. Yeosu is also widening and streamlining roads leading toward the venue with a budget of 34 billion won ($31.2 million), subsidized by the central and Yeosu governments. nw

A bird's eye night view of the site of Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea, to be held in Yeosu from May 12 to Aug. 12, 1212. The Expo site
will house facilities such as the Theme Pavilion, the International Pavilion, the Korea Pavilion, the Marine Life Pavilion, the Big-O and the Expo Digital Gallery.

(from left) Bird's eye views show the Theme Pavilion, being built under the Expo's theme The Living Ocean and Coast, and the Korean Pavilion, to be built in a way that exhibits the country's vision to project the ocean and coastal areas as a new growth engine.

The Expo Digital Gallery (EDG) is an open-format, 600-meter-long exhibition hall that links the high-speed KTX train station with the expo venue

Photo on Courtesy of the Organizing Committee for Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea

Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea
At A Glance

About 100 countries will participate in Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea, to be held in Yeosu from May 12 to Aug. 12, 2012, under the theme The Living Ocean and Coast.
The Expo theme will help shed light on humankind's knowledge and advancement of technology concerning the ocean and coast and identify ways to resolve challenges facing the ocean. Since the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea went into effect in 1993, the ocean has emerged as an important element in resolving various problems humankind faces, including those related to resources, food, space and the environment. However, industrial activities have damaged the marine ecosystem and subsequently reduced fish stocks. As a result, the ocean faces a severe crisis. A damaged marine ecosystem, global warming and natural disasters are not limited to a certain country or region, but are issues that have global implications. Thus, Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea will pave the way for reaffirming the global effort to resolve such issues.
The Expo's theme, The Living Ocean and Coast, was divided into three sub-themes: Development and Preservation of the Ocean and Coast, New Resources Technology and Creative Marine Activities. These sub-themes have been further developed into six thematic groups ― Climate & Environment, Marine Life, Marine Industry & Technology, Marine City, Marine Civilization and Marine Arts, each of which will be demonstrated in the respective sub-theme pavilions.
Development and Preservation of the Ocean and Coast: This sub-theme aims to inspire a new level of cooperation in the international community so as to combat climate change and create a paradigm where development and preservation find a better balance. The last few decades have witnessed severe environmental degradation caused by the reckless use and excessive development of natural resources by humankind. Our economies and societies must break away from their current fossil fuel-based economies to minimize the damages to both people and the environment. Today, individuals, businesses, countries and the global community must realize that marine resources are limited and should not be subject to careless use. They are the fundamentals for the sound development of our future society, and people and ecosystems must be considered on the same level.
New Resources Technology: This sub-theme illustrates the progress and future prospects of marine technology, a new growth driver for the advancement of humankind. Countries are competing to become more competitive in marine-related industries and develop technologies to address issues related to resources and the changing environment. The discreet use of resources, which strikes a balance between development and preservation, is only possible if based on advanced marine science and technology. Fostering marine industries will create added value and generate new jobs to transform sluggish industries into low-cost, high-efficiency structures.
Creative Marine Activities: This sub-theme intends to demonstrate the relationship between the oceans and humankind through culture and art and promote the new ideals of the seatizen and seavilization. An energetic mix of play and experience (edutainment) will trigger the imagination and curiosity of attendees towards an unknown world, inspiring young boys and girls around the world to learn to love and appreciate the oceans. A wide collection of marine-related culture and arts, including poetry, novels, films, operas, musicals, plays and music will be exhibited at the Yeosu Expo.

The Yeosu Declaration
The Yeosu Declaration, pursued as part of the legacy of the Yeosu Expo, is intended not only to enhance the awareness of dangers faced by the sea but also to promote the necessity of international cooperation for turning these challenges into hopes for the future.
As an international manifesto, the Yeosu Declaration will be jointly developed in consultation with marine experts from home and abroad, including those from international organizations. The document will be presented at various forums and symposiums of international organizations and be adopted during the Expo with the full support of the international community. The Yeosu Declaration will celebrate humanity's efforts to find sustainable ways to develop the ocean and create an international consensus on the Expo theme, The Living Ocean and Coast.

The Yeosu Project
The Yeosu Project is an international cooperation program designed to strengthen capacities of developing countries for meeting the challenges related to the ocean and environment. It is being developed as the practical element that translates the spirit of the Yeosu Declaration and the theme of Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea into action. The Korean government has allocated approx. $10 million from 2009 to 2012 to join the world in coping with the marine-related challenges. The areas of cooperation include development of environment vulnerability map on coasts and islands, and transfer of technologies such as eco-friendly fishing technology and disaster prevention monitoring. nw

(left) Emblem of the Expo & mascot