[Editorial] Expo preparations

Korea has been reasonably successful in hosting major world events such as the Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup and even the 2011 World Athletics Championships in Daegu. Success in these affairs is generally measured by financial profitability with large numbers of participants and spectators and trouble-free proceedings.

The 1988 Seoul Olympics, which were held after partial boycotts in 1980 and 1984, are remembered as having helped foment the end of the Cold War and introduced Korea as an emerging economic power on the world stage. The 2002 FIFA World Cup, in which Korea shared its 64 matches with Japan, was an opportunity to push “Dynamic Korea” into the industrialized ranks of the global community.

This week, a 100-day countdown starts for the Yeosu World Exposition scheduled for May 12-Aug. 12, but many are a little apprehensive of its preparations. First of all, public interest in the event in this year of elections remain rather subdued and some even discount its importance, noting its being classified as a “specialized exposition” held in the intervals of “international registered expositions,” the last of which was the 2010 Shanghai Expo.

Whatever the title, the Yeosu Expo should be an event for the world suffering from recurring financial crises to exhibit its endeavors to recover and achieve sustained growth through cooperation and collaboration. In the 2012 World Expo, taking place in the relatively unknown Korean city of Yeosu, the theme is that the sea and the coast hold the key to the survival of mankind.

Yonhap News reports that construction of exposition facilities for the 106 participating nations and nine international organizations was 92 percent complete at the end of last week. A KTX railway makes access to the Expo site possible within three hours from Seoul and new highway connections have shortened travel times from all provinces of the country. Airline and cruise services are being added to accommodate international visitors.

However, ticket sales are sluggish, remaining at 5 percent as of last week. On the other hand, shortage of accommodation draws serious concern. Yeosu City has secured only 5,600 guest rooms at hotels and inns and can add up to 4,000 through private home accommodation and the Buddhist Templestay programs while Expo organizers estimate that about 27,000 rooms are needed. The situation will become more difficult if the explosively increasing Chinese tourists start heading to Yeosu.

Since the 2012 World Exposition was awarded to Yeosu in 2007, some 2.1 trillion won ($1.8 billion) in official funds has been poured for the Expo site and infrastructures. If the expected effects of the World Expo ― 12 trillion won in increased production, 5.7 trillion won in value added to Korean products and 78,000 positions of employment ― included some inflated figures, at least one thing is certain. Yeosu will henceforth secure a place in the global community on a par with such names as New Orleans, Brisbane, Seville, Hannover, Aichi and Genoa, the former venues of the World Expo.

Whether the name Yeosu will stand out as a bustling Korean port presenting sincere human endeavors to exploit ― while preserving ― maritime resources or will be remembered for shallow content and inconveniences will depend much on the efforts of both local and central governments over the coming 100 days. Voluntary activities of local citizens will be greatly helpful.

We have seen how Daejeon has developed to become the nation’s center of scientific research over the past two decades since it hosted the 1993 World Exposition. The people of Yeosu and the beautiful region of islands and coasts can have a similarly ambitious vision for the future as they join in preparations for the World Expo. People’s enthusiasm has always been the key factor of success in previous international events in Korea.

President Lee Myung-bak is called upon to provide unreserved help for the Yeosu Expo to make it a monumental achievement in the final year of his administration. And major businesses are urged to assume sponsorships for the event in specialized ways, realizing that they can gain a lot from a successful 2012 World Expo.