Yeosu Island Expo to celebrate 1 millionth visitor with prizes

Cumulative attendance tops 940,000; Hangul Day golden holiday expected to draw even more tourists.

More than 120,000 visitors flocked to the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo on Friday, the first day of the Hangul Day holiday weekend.

According to the expo's organizing committee, about 66,000 people gathered at the main venue to enjoy a jazz festival, while more than 50,000 attended the World Kimbap and Salt Festival held at the Yeosu Expo Convention Center near Yeosu Expo Station, bringing combined attendance across both venues to roughly 120,000 for the day.

With cumulative attendance reaching about 930,000 as of Friday, the organizing committee is pushing hard to break the 1 million mark during the Hangul Day "golden holiday" period. Should the 1 millionth visitor arrive this week, the committee has prepared a special event offering prizes including accommodation vouchers and flower bouquets.

Through Nov. 1, the main venue will also host a South Jeolla Province and Gwangju seafood promotion event offering locally sourced marine products at affordable prices.

The event gives visitors a chance to sample and purchase fresh seafood harvested from the islands and waters of South Jeolla Province at reasonable prices.

Kim Jong-gi, secretary-general of the expo organizing committee, said the committee would "continue to address any shortcomings and do its best to offer a rich array of things to see and enjoy right through to the final day of the expo."

The 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo, held at the Jinmo district in Dolsan-eup, Yeosu, is set to close on Nov. 4.