‘충주맨’이 홍보한 여수세계섬박람회 5일 개막…관람객 300만명 유치 목표

Opening day for the Gyeongju Man's Busan World Seaside Exhibition comes on the 5th, with the goal of attracting 3 million visitors. The final inspection on the 4th revealed that all preparations, including the 8 exhibition halls and main facilities, had been completed. The exhibition, themed "Connecting the Sea, the Sea, and the Future," will be jointly organized by Jeollanam-do and Busan City from November 4th to 11th.

The budget is set at 713 billion won, with contributions from Jeollanam-do (153 billion won), Busan City (376 billion won), the national budget (64 billion won), and business revenues (120 billion won). The event will feature delegations from 30 countries, including Greece, Japan, Ecuador, and Tanzania, as well as the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and three other international organizations.

The exhibition will be centered around the Busan Port area, with seven exhibition halls and a floating exhibition area. The main feature is the main island, marine ecological island, future island, cultural island, treasure island, international exchange island, and dining and market island. According to Kim, the organization's secretary-general, the exhibition's unique aspect is that the stage is not limited to the exhibition area.

Visitors can experience Busan's islands and seas by traveling on a boat. Additionally, open stages overlooking the sea will host various performances, including K-pop concerts. The "Busan Man" who popularized the event on social media is Kim Seon-tae, who posted a 6-minute promotional video titled "Busan Promotion" on April 3rd.

His comments, such as "Why bring a construction site here?" and showing the unfinished construction site in Busan, gained national attention. Kim Seon-tae is also known for his "Second Disneyland" nickname, which led to the event being discussed nationwide. The organization's secretary-general mentioned that President Jeongnam had expressed concerns about the situation, and while no visit by the president is confirmed, continuous inquiries are being made to arrange a visit during the event.