Yeosu Expo African Culture Performance

Wonderful Yeosu Expo Big-O Show

WORLD EXPO 2012: 80 MILLION VISITORS ARE ESTIMATED

http://www.tourism-review.com/world-expo-2012-80-million-visitors-are-estimated-news3251 The whole world is converging together this May in one of the most important events in history. The World Expo 2012 is being attended by more than 100 countries in hopes of furthering world relations and sharing each other's culture and interpretations. With the excitement and all the festivities occurring around the host country, South Korea began construction of the site in May 12 in the city of Yeosu. This year the event means so much more, especially with environmental concerns regarding nature and the conservation of natural resources. With all the major issues happening throughout the world, 'The Living Ocean and Coast' had been chosen as a theme. The event is expected to generate worldwide attention. Billions of dollars were invested in the construction and the undertaking of the huge event. It has been a long while since the last World Expo had taken place, with the last fair taking place in Shanghai, China in 2010. The tradition has been culminated and practiced continuously from the last century. The diversity of countries and the attention it gets have increased especially with the development of media. The exposition is expected to have an estimated count of 80 million people with more than half a million more from abroad. Concerns for security and traffic are a major concern for the organizers. With the huge volume of visitors fitting inside an area of 1.74 square kilometers of pavilion spaces, the exposition has to rely on support from the 10 international organizations. Opening ceremonies were presented by South Korea president Lee Myung Bak. After which the three month event initiated with grand festivities and technological exhibitions. All the countries have their own exhibition space, making sure to expose their own interpretation of the theme centered on their own culture. In all sense, the benefit of the World Fair has a rather large impact on South Korean economy. With an estimated ripple effect of 12.2 trillion of Korean won produced, it has to be perfectly executed. The added value of another 5.7 trillion won has in effect employed about 80 thousand employees. The World Fair is an international tradition that has aided in relations for many generations. The fact that it will be held in South Korea will be an economic boom as well as letting the country garner more exposure to the rest of the world. The fair does well to convey the message it wants to tell the rest of the world, with more than 100 countries together in saying it. - Tourism-Review.com

International Cruise Ships Arrive in Yeosu, One after Another

Fuji Maru Arrives on 25th, Making it a Third Cruise Ship to Dock at the Expo in two weeks Japanese 23,000-ton international cruise ship Fuji Maru, carrying 400 tourists from Japan, arrives at the international cruise terminal at the Yeosu Expo site at 8 a.m. on May 25, following the Pacific Venus and the Legend of the Seas that arrived in Yeosu on 14th and 16th each. It is the third time for an international cruise ship to arrive in Yeosu since the Expo was opened to the public two weeks ago. The Fuji Maru, departed from port, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan on 24th, will stay in Yeosu for two days from 25th to 26th, and tourists aboard the ship are going to visit the Yeosu Expo and tour Yeosu, Suncheon and other neighboring areas in the southern coast. The vessel will return to Japan on May 27. Mr. Kang Jung-gu, the director of the international marketing division at the Organizing Committee for Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea, said that “the three international cruise ships brought in around 3,000 international tourists and contributed to enhancing the image of the Yeosu Expo as a marine exhibition.” and “for the rest of the Expo period, more international cruise ships are expected to dock at the Expo site for seven times in total, including the Costa Victoria owned by Europe’s largest shipbuilder, which is scheduled to dock at the Expo site for five times.” Fuji Maru

Landmarks of Yeosu Expo

The panorama of Yeosu Expo '12 site

The Big O, a water screen that is a landmark of the Expo 2012, is seen during a media day of the expo, in Yeosu, South Korea.

The Thematic Pavilion for the EXPO 2012 planned by the Austrian architecture office SOMA will be opened in Yeosu on 11th of May. Soma’s design proposal One Ocean was selected as the first prize winner in an open international competition in 2009.

[Yeosu Expo] K-POP Stars "Let's Gather Around in Yeosu"

K-Pop stars, such as Super Junior, Shinee, Beast, 2PM and Wondergirls, will get together in Yeosu. '12 Yeosu Expo Organization Committee stated that various performances ranging from K-Pop and World Pop to Classic will take place during Expo period, and revealed detailed lineup on May 8th. 'The Big Wave Concert', which is a special K-pop concert, will begin on 12th, the grand opening day, with Wonder Girls and Dynamic Duo, and will go on every week with other K-pop stars such as Shinee and Super Junior. On June 15th, Busker Busker will perform 'Yeosu Night Sea', which rercently have caused a sensation. In addition to Big Wave Concert, total of 16 shows, at least one show per week, will be performed on Big O afloat stage. In addition to orean popular singers including 015B, Kim Jo-Han, Boohwal, DJ DOC and Kim Kyung-Ho, foreign stars such as world-famous R&B singer John Legend, classic idol star Ensemble Ditto and Mason Bates, a popular DJ and composer, will also participate in Yeosu Expo. Yeosu Expo show schedules are posted on its homepage(www.expo2012.kr) All shows including Big Wave Concert are free to every ticket holders. Tickets are available on its homepage or Interpart Ticket. Organization Committee official said "Besides exhibition, diverse shows can make Expo merrily. Especially, I think cheap K-Pop concerts(available to everyone with ticket which is approximately 30,000 won) will be very popular among tourists from overseas." Yeosu Expo is a second Expo to be held in Korea following 1993 Daejeon Expo, and is chosen as 'one of the tourist destination that one should visit this year' by various eminent presses including CNN and Lonely Planet.

K-POP Water Show, Expectation High

Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea opens on the 12th and expectation on the K-POP Water Show is high. According to the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea Organizing Committee, Wonder Girls, Dinamic Duo, and Simon D will appear in the special concert "Big Wave Concert". Also large wooden dolls and marine life characters will appear in the water show. Wonders Girls who topped the K-POP chart with "Be My Baby" will show its Korean Wave again in the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea Water Show. Dynamic Duo and Simon D who is leading the Korean Hiphop globalization will move not only the Korean fans but also the foreigners. Big Wave Concert will open that day and continue in 26th, June 16th and 30th, July 7th and 14th, April 4th from 7:30 to 8:30. Spectators will enjoy the day because there are many performances and events being prepared besides K-POP show. At 2:00 PM, theme performance of Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea called the "Flowering Sea" water show will be held for 70 minutes. Main charater "Sea Flower Girl" and "Coast Boy" will show a thrilling performance along the marine life charater. 153 people will perform in the water show, and road performance, clown performance, water stunt, art circus will be be combined in the water show. You will regret it if you miss the night water screen Big oh show using "The-O". For the first time in the world, a hologram image will be penetrated through the water, and water fountain show as wells as flame show will move the spectators. In the tent theater, Buhwal's first concert will be held at 8:20 PM for an hour. K-Pop Festa is relay-concert form to be held throughout May, in which Korean famous artists such as Bu Hwal, Jeok-woo, 015B, Kim Cho-han, DJ.DOC, Geomi, Kim Kyeong-ho, will appear. The historical reunion stage to be performed by Shin Hae-cheol and Shin Dae-cheol is particularly interesting. At the tent theater, 12 types of special stages called 'Dancing Hero' which includes Hip-hop, Modern dance, Break Dance and Pop dance, will be provided between 12 pm to 1 pm. And the world's first silent comedy 'Gamarchoba' will be provided between 4 pm to 5 pm. Dancing Hero and Gamarchoba will be shown till 1st July and 18th May individually. At the children's theater, experienceable performances 'Nanta for children' and 'Garuya Garuya' will be open. Also many other children's performances like goblin band with natural sound 'Beatle Goblin', 'Bumped Apple', 'Tum-tum Bang-bang', 'Teeth', 'Who shat on my head?', will be performed. The participant nations' cultural performances will also be provided everyday. On the first day of the Expo, Indonesian and Cambodian performances will be played at 12:30 pm and 4 pm individually at the Ocean Square. Besides, street and traditional performances will be provided for the audiences waiting in line of the exhibition. And Coast guard's training ship, russian sailboat 'Hagemga', Coreana, cargo vessel anchored at the ship exhibition dock, will provide boarding experience. The organizing committee of Yeosu Expo's Cutural Event department head Kim Kwang-yong said "Yeosu Expo's cultural performances will be on the ocean with the ocean as the stage" and "You can learn about the ocean through the exhibitions and enjoy about the ocean through the performances". The opening ceremony of Yeosu Expo will be played with 'Dreaming Ocean' as the theme at the Ocean Stage at 6 pm on 11th, the day before the opening. At the opening ceremony, the Jeolla provincial governor Park Jun-young, the chairman of BIE, the chairman of the organizing committee, the member of Parliament, the representatives of participating nations and international organizations, the leaders of the Green Growth Summit, etc. will attend. And the First day will be a simple ceremony at the entrance of Expo Digital Gallery at 8 am on 12th. Yeosu Expo will be open for 93 days from 12th May till 12th August with the theme of 'Living Ocean, Breathing Coast'. It will be the world-class festival with 80 special exhibitions where you can learn about the importance of the ocean and enjoy various cultural performances. 104 nations and 10 international organizations will participate.