By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-09-17 13:20:18 | Updated at 2026-09-17 14:12:21
55 minutes ago
SEOUL – Criticism is mounting over the 2026 World Island Fair Yeosu Korea, a 70 billion won (S$64.62 million) event that opened in Yeosu, Jeonnam-Gwangju, over the quality of its exhibits, food and overall content.
At the centre of the controversy was a performance of Baennorae Folk Song, staged at an outdoor venue on Sept 15, re-enacting a traditional song sung by fishermen on Geomundo while out at sea.
The performance featured a one-tonne truck covered with fabric as a substitute for a boat. Performers stood on the truck and pretended to row as it moved across the stage, with its body and wheels clearly visible.
Videos of the scene filmed by visitors quickly spread on social media.
“Even a neighbourhood food truck would be decorated better than this. They spent 70 billion won on something like this? It’s embarrassing, especially with so many foreign tourists expected to visit,” one user wrote on X.
The expo has a budget of 71.3 billion won, including 6.4 billion won from the central government, 52.9 billion won from local governments and 12 billion won from its own revenue, including ticket sales.
An additional 113.6 billion won has been allocated to 77 related projects, including road, tourism and environmental improvements, bringing the total cost of projects linked to the expo to more than 180 billion won.
Some visitors also complained that the expo’s marinated crab set meal fell short of what they expected for one of Yeosu’s best-known dishes.
In a video filmed during his visit to the expo, food review YouTuber Mat Sangmu, who has around 640,000 subscribers, showed the 14,900 won set meal sold at a restaurant inside the expo venue, which included soy sauce-marinated crab, rice, kimchi, corn salad and soup.
Criticism quickly followed, with many users comparing the expo offering with photos of larger and more varied marinated crab set meals sold at nearby restaurants for around 15,000 to 20,000 won.
“Some restaurants here offer set meals for 15,000 won with unlimited side-dish refills. I’m worried tourists will think restaurants in Yeosu are ripping them off,” wrote one Facebook user who identified himself as a Yeosu resident.
The 61-day expo, which kicked off on Sept 5, will continue to Nov 4 at its main venue and other sites across Yeosu, including Gaedo and Geumodo islands. The programme includes 133 performances, as well as exhibitions and hands-on activities.
The event is the country’s first international expo focused solely on islands, showcasing their culture, ecology and ways of life while exploring their potential in tourism and new maritime industries.
Organisers are targeting three million visitors, with 30 countries taking part. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
