[[Herald Interview] Yeosu aims for visitor-friendly Expo]

YEOSU, South Jeolla Province ― The southern coastal town famous for its seascape and bountiful seafood is in the final stages of preparation for the World Expo.

Construction clatter fills the waterfront Expo site in front of the Yeosu Expo train station, to which the KTX travel time from Seoul will be reduced to 2 hours and 50 minutes by the time the world fair kicks off on May 12.

Themed “Living Ocean and Coast,” the Yeosu Expo will be the first world fair to be held above water to highlight the importance and potential of the ocean as a future source of food and energy.

More than 93 percent of the construction of exhibition halls and other structures has been completed, according to the organizing committee of the 2012 Yeosu Expo.

“We will have all the facilities completed by the end of February,” Kang Dong-suk, chairman of the organizing committee, said in an interview with The Korea Herald at his office.

The temporary building used by the committee will be removed after the Expo along with most of the exhibition halls built on a quay and reclaimed land.

“The buildings will be filled with all the exhibits, installations and amenities in March to be ready for rehearsals with select groups of visitors starting in April.”

The committee plans to invite some 130,000 children to the Expo site on May 5 Children’s Day, just a week ahead of the official opening, for a final checkup.

“We want to be absolutely sure that everything is ready because I’ve seen repair works going on at Expos abroad while visitors are touring,” Kang said.

“China had to give out orders for more convenience facilities after a greater-than-expected number of visitors swarmed in (at the Shanghai Expo in 2010).” 

The 93-day Yeosu Expo will present a new concept of Expo, one that allows spectators to interact with the exhibits rather than simply view them, according to Kang.

Visitors, for instance, will be able to see images of whales grow on the Expo Digital Gallery above their heads by feeding them text messages of hope.

Whereas the Expos in the 20th century were focused on the most cutting-edge innovations of the time such as airplanes, the latest world fairs have been themed around common issues of interest for all of mankind ― the environment and urban living.

“Mankind will rely more and more on the ocean for food and energy in the future. For a deeper understanding of the ocean, we are creating a ‘fisheries experience zone’ where spectators can experience deep-sea fishing on board mock vessels and observe how fish are raised and harvested in a mini-fish farm,” Kang said.

The 73-year-old former minister of land picked three “killer contents” of the Expo, one of which is the light-emitting diode digital gallery that will cover the ceilings of the 218-meter main street from the entrance to the International Pavilion.

The high-resolution LED gallery will feature videos with stories and three-dimensional holographic sounds of the seas around the world.

The other two are a package of fountain shows choreographed by the world’s top companies and the Sky Tower, a redesigned pair of 55-meter-high cement silos with a fully-functioning pipe organ and a harp-shaped exterior.

The Big-O, a floating stage that is the centerpiece of the expo, will be the site for the Night Multimedia Show and various cultural performances. K-pop musicians will perform on the Big-O every weekend.

Sounds from the world’s largest pipe organ in the Sky Tower can be heard from a distance of six kilometers.

In addition to the spectacles and attractions, the Yeosu Expo will offer good food and amenities at satisfying prices.

“You often find restaurants in exposition sites unfriendly and expensive,” Kang said.

“To prevent this, we selected the nation’s best restaurants for each menu to serve at the expo. They will pay little or no rent, and we will help build kitchen facilities if necessary to keep prices reasonable.”

Even ice cream will be sold at below-market prices.

“Any ice cream with a price tag of 1,000 won will be sold at no more than 700 won. And only the 10 most popular ice creams will be sold so that people can find their favorites,” Kang said.

There will be air-conditioned restrooms enough for 250,000 visitors per day within the expo site and six parking lots off the Yeosu highway interchange for 33,000 vehicles where visitors can transfer to free shuttle buses.

The committee expects about 8 million visitors including 550,000 foreigners during the three-month expo.

By Kim So-hyun  (sophie@heraldcorp.com)