Yeosu World Island Expo Surpasses 1 Million Visitors 36 Days After Opening

The cumulative number of visitors to the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo surpassed 1 million on the 10th, 36 days after it opened.
The Island Expo Organizing Committee said on the 11th that around 250,000 people visited the main and secondary venues on the 9th and 10th, during the Hangul Day holiday weekend. The cumulative visitor count through the 10th was tallied at 1,064,079.
During the holiday weekend, the main venue hosted jazz performances, concerts and fireworks, as well as a seafood discount fair and a tasting event for abalone-and-egg gimbap. The 2026 Jeonnam-Gwangju World Gimbap & Salt Festival was held at the Yeosu Expo Convention Center, the secondary venue, drawing visitors.
The millionth visitors were a married couple, Jo (56) and Yoo (56), who live in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province. They had come to Yeosu for the holiday and became the lucky recipients. The committee also presented commemorative gifts to visitors who entered just before and after the couple.
The committee plans to attract visitors during the remaining time before the expo closes with newly revamped exhibition halls, weekend performances and other offerings.
Held under the theme “Islands: Connecting the Sea and the Future,” the expo runs through November 4 at the main venue in Jinmo District, Dolsan, Yeosu, the Yeosu World Expo Site, and areas around Gaedo and Geumodo.
[email protected] Jeong Sun-min Reporter