YEOSU — The 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo, which set out to attract 3 million visitors, is facing doubts about its drawing power just days after opening. Fewer than 40,000 people came during its first weekend despite an opening ceremony and a concert by popular singers, and visitors on site questioned the thin lineup of attractions and the value for the admission price. Congratulatory speeches by politicians at the opening ceremony also ran longer than scheduled, prompting complaints about whether the event was truly for the public.
According to the expo's organizing committee, attendance during the opening weekend was 25,417 on the 5th and 10,251 on the 6th, for a two-day total of 35,668. Given that the expo is targeting 3 million visitors over its two-month run, the early figures fall short of expectations.
The numbers are all the more troubling for the committee because the first weekend included both the opening ceremony and a celebratory concert.
Officials had initially expected severe congestion around the main venue in the Jinmo district of Dolsan-eup, particularly near the Dolsan and Geobukseon bridges. Yeosu authorities responded with traffic measures including one-way flow along a 1.8-kilometer access road, adjusted intersection signals, temporary parking lots and real-time traffic updates. Actual traffic volume, however, was little different from a typical weekend.
The absence of the feared gridlock was a relief, but observers said it paradoxically exposed how few visitors had come.
Reactions on the ground were mixed. Some praised the night views over the water and the media facade displays. But many said the exhibition content and hands-on programs fell short of expectations.
Ji, a 55-year-old visitor, said she had hurried to the site because it was opening day. "There were far fewer people than I expected, so at least parking was easy," she said, adding flatly that she had no plans to return. The response contrasts with the 2023 Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo, held in a neighboring city, which drew close to 10 million visitors. Repeat visits piled up, and the site remains one of the country's most popular destinations years later.
The reinforced tent-style exhibition halls at the main venue drew mockery on social media as a "fancy greenhouse." The pyramid-shaped "Theme Island," built as a landmark, served as a photo spot but lacked content to keep visitors there for long, according to accounts from the site.
General admission of 15,000 won for adults has added to the dissatisfaction. Some visitors have been sharing tips that the 4,000-won evening ticket is the better deal.
The running of the opening ceremony has also come under scrutiny. The committee held the ceremony on the 5th at the open-air stage of the main venue in Yeosu's Dolsan Jinmo district. The program had four parts: a pre-show, the official ceremony, a themed performance and ceremony, and a celebratory concert.
The problem was the guests' congratulatory speeches during the official ceremony. The program had them wrapping up around 7:40 p.m., but on site they reportedly continued until close to 8 p.m.
Some visitors left their seats. The practice of naming attending politicians and dignitaries one by one added to the frustration.
An organizing committee official said the arrangement was "out of consideration for guests who had come from outside," adding that the Yeosu mayor was understood to have given up his own remarks. Critics said that ran counter to the "citizen-centered" approach the committee had stressed while preparing the expo.
The committee's co-chair had earlier called for more seating for residents rather than VIP sections during a venue inspection, and had asked that speeches and introductions of dignitaries be kept brief. In the end, the ceremony was billed as citizen-centered but put political protocol front and center.
The Yeosu World Island Expo runs through November 4 under the theme "Islands, Connecting the Sea and the Future." Venues include the Jinmo district, the World Expo site and the islands of Gaedo and Geumodo.
Turning attendance around over the remaining weeks will require strengthening on-site content rather than more publicity, observers said. Night scenery and the image of Yeosu's evening sea alone will not bring visitors back. Proposed follow-up steps include events tied to local businesses, more island experience programs, easing the admission burden, and adding performances and nighttime attractions.
With thin content and protocol disputes surfacing in the opening days of an international event costing 71.3 billion won, concerns are growing that it could end up as a second Jamboree.
