365 Islands Become the Stage! The World’s First Island Exhibition Unfolds in Yeosu
“A 61-Day Journey to the Islands Begins Next Year in Yeosu”
Official Poster of the 2026 Yeosu World Island Exhibition
Under the theme ‘Island, Connecting the Ocean and the Future’, this exhibition recounts the island, an isolated land, as a space for future capability. As the preservation of marine ecology and sustainability in the climate crisis era becomes the issue of human survival, the islands are getting attention as a laboratory to design the future of the world.
18 countries and one international organization will get together. The world comes to Yeosu.
About 250 days ahead of the 2026 World Island Exhibition, a total of 18 countries and one international organization have confirmed their participation to date, including Cebu City from the Philippines, Palau, Peru, and Kochi Prefecture from Japan, as well as Corsica from France. Targeting to accommodate up to 30 countries, the number of participating countries and cities is increasing continuously as the opening of the Exhibition approaches.
Recently joining ‘the Korea-Japan Tourism Promotional Council’ that was held at Saga Prefecture, Japan, and promoting the exhibition to local governments and tourism associations in Japan, the Organizing Committee of the Exhibition has been intensifying its international outreach. Expecting approximately 3 million people to join, the world will experience the islands of Yeosu city.
Three stages, one message.
The exhibition will have different attractions in the three venues. The Main venue, in Jinmo district of Dolsan Island, will feature 8 pavilions in an area of 182,000 square meters. The Organizing Committee informed that construction of the site began in September this year and would be completed by July next year. Centering the Theme pavilion, Island Marine Ecology pavilion, Island Future pavilion, and Island Culture pavilion will be established, providing an experience of 'islands without travelling to them’ through media art and cutting-edge technologies.
In particular, Advanced Air Mobility(AAM) aerial taxi and Wing-in-Ground(WIG) vehicles that glide above the sea surface are demonstrated in the Island Future pavilion. The future transportation that could be seen only in science fiction will be showcased in real-world settings across the islands of Yeosu. In the Island Theme Zone, visitors meet Santorini from Greece, the Maldives, and the Jeju Islands in a single location.
In Geumodo and Gaedo Islands, the sub-venues of the exhibition, the islands themselves become the stage. Walking through 18.5km of Bireong-gil(road) in Geumodo island, which was selected as one of ‘Korea’s 100 Most beautiful Roads’, visitors fully enjoy the spectacular beauty of the south sea and the relaxation of the islands in the bookstore in the middle of the road. Planned to develop an island camping site, experiential programs, activities such as kayaking and mudflat experience will be in service at Gaedo Island, making visitors feel the island through all five senses.
Expo Ocean Park is the central stage for academic events and international forums. The 7th Island Day will be held in August next year, and the ‘World Island Cities Conference’ and ‘International Island Forum’ will be held in September, giving opportunities for island-possessing countries around the world to share their thoughts.
Transportation, Accommodation, and Safety: Comprehensive Preparations Underway
Anticipating up to 22,700 vehicles of average daily traffic volume compared to 13,600 vehicles during the exhibition, the organizing committee is creating a temporary parking lot with an additional 7,000 units. Investing 4 billion KRW, the committee plans to operate a total of 2,310 shuttle buses on 12 routes between the main venue and the temporary parking lot.
Additionally, Yeosu City is making comprehensive efforts to restore the marine environment in line with the exhibition’s mission to highlight the value of islands and the ocean. Deploying two cleanup vessels this year, the city administration collected 389 tons of marine debris, while approximately 15,000 personnel(cumulative) have been mobilized to conduct intensive coastal clean-up operations across the islands. The collected waste is safely processed through certified specialized contractors, and the discarded styrofoam is recycled as a reusable resource via recycling facilities.
As ‘Baekriseomseom-gil’, a road connecting Yeosu to Goheung, was recently designated as a tourist road for the first time in Korea, Yeosu is expected to become the hub for marine tourism in the southern region. Just like it is a popular tourist city that over 10 million people visit for four consecutive years, Yeosu endeavors to expand and upgrade its tourism infrastructure.
A Citizen-driven exhibition
The citizens’ voluntary participation in the promotion is quite passionate. Relay support campaigns for the exhibition have been held across all 27 districts, and thousands of citizens joined the citizens’ pledge ceremony recently, assuring the successful hosting of the World Island Exhibition. A wide range of local organizations, including agriculture, fisheries, and sports associations, showed their enthusiasm and affection by purchasing tickets in advance.
Additionally, a pledge campaign to provide kind service with the owners and service providers was held to accommodate visitors and tourists. Beyond the success of the World Island Exhibition, the genuine endeavor to resuscitate Yeosu is leading whole change in the entire region.
“A special experience to find the true value of the island, come to Yeosu”
The secretary-general Kim Jonggi of the 2026 World Island Exhibition announced that “For 61 days from September to November in 2026, Yeosu becomes the center of the world,” adding that “The world’s first island exhibition is not just a single exhibition, it is a multi-dimensional festival that visitors experience the past, present and the future of Island in an immersive and holistic manner.”
He further stated, “only the World Island Exhibition can give the spectacular experience by witnessing the future of the island realized through cutting-edge technology in Dolsan, feeling the nature on walking in Geumodo and Gaedo islands, and discussing the value of the island with experts from the world at Expo Ocean Park,” expressing his hope that “all the people in the world can find the limitless potential of the island in Yeosu.
He concluded by noting that “the voluntary participation and support of local citizens are the driving force behind the success of the World Island Exhibition,” and extended his invitational message that “In the Autumn of 2026, we look forward to welcoming the world to the islands of Yeosu.”
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