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First World Island Fair to promote food, cultures of 31 countries
- Source
- korea.net
- Date
- 2026.09.04
The inaugural World Island Fair is scheduled to run from Sept. 5 to Nov. 4 in and around Yeosu, Jeollanam-do Province. Shown is Jinmo District of Dolsando Island, the main venue of the festival. (Event's organizing committee)By Charles Audouin and Jeong Euiseok
The inaugural World Island Fair will open on Sept. 5 in Yeosu, Jeollanam-do Province, a city with 365 islands.
Under the theme "Island, Connecting the Ocean and the Future," the event will take place in Jinmo District of Dolsando Island off the coast of Yeosu, as well as on Gaedo and Geumodo islands and the former site of the 2012 Yeosu World Expo. Local governments from 31 countries including France, the Philippines, Ecuador, Madagascar, Greece and Palau will take part, as well as three international organizations such as the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
Unlike a conventional expo with exhibition halls in one location, this event, with islands as its main stage, is interactive in nature and held throughout Yeosu. It will reexamine islands not as isolated spaces but as venues for sustainable development and preservation of marine ecosystems, under a blueprint to promote the role and potential of islands amid climate change.
Visitors on Aug. 29, about a week before the opening of the inaugural World Island Fair, walk in front of the media facade of the exhibition hall Theme Island on a preview day at the main venue of Dolsando Island off the coast of Yeosu, Jeollanam-do Province. (Event's organizing committee)Jinmo District, the fair's main venue, has eight exhibition halls including the landmark Theme Island. Using cutting-edge technology, the facility will showcase the past, present and future of islands and present the island-related policies and cultures of participating countries.
The restaurant and market island hall displays both Yeosu's unique cuisine and regional island dishes from around the world. The cuisines will range from specialty menus like gat yukhoe bibimbap, a premium rice bowl topped with fresh and seasoned raw beef tartare and vegetables, and Yeosu island gat samgyetang, or mustard leaf ginseng chicken soup, to lamb kebabs and tandoori chicken.
Outdoor spaces and gardens will promote the islands of Korea and the world such as Dokdo, Gapado, the Maldives and Azores. A combined 133 performances and events are scheduled including those by K-pop and ppongjak (trot) acts and troupes from abroad as well as street parades.
The former venue of the 2012 Yeosu World Expo will host academic events such as the International Island Forum and the World Island Cities Conference. Cultural events including the World Gimbap and Salt Festival and the Yeosu Night Sea Fireworks Festival will also add to the excitement.
A preview day on Aug. 29, about a week before the opening of the inaugural Yeosu World Island Fair, has visitors viewing a marine ecological island display at the event's main venue on Dolsando Island off the coast of Yeosu, Jeollanam-do Province. (Event's organizing committee) On Gaedo and Geumodo islands, interactive programs unique to islands will be offered like camping, trekking along Bireong-gil Road, boat fishing and yacht tours. In addition to wellness programs such as yoga and meditation, other experiences will include movie theaters and stargazing.
The event's organizing committee plans to boost convenience for foreign visitors through real-time multilingual interpretation based on artificial intelligence at information centers and ticket offices. Daily attendance of 49,000 visitors is expected over the festival's 61-day period.
Bireong-gil Road on Geumodo Island is a world-class coastal cliff trekking trail. (Yeosu City Hall)
caudouin@korea.kr
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