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Busan City and the 2026 World Island Exhibition Yeosu Korea Sign MOU to Redesign Maritime Korea

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for “Cooperative Support between Busan Metropolitan City and the 2026 World Island Exhibition Yeosu Korea” with the Organizing Committee for the 2026 World Island Exhibition Yeosu Korea at 3:00 PM today (May 13) at the Yeosu Expo Convention Center.

Present at the signing ceremony were Mayor Park Heong-joon, Jeollanam-do Governor Kim Yung-rok, Yeosu Mayor Chung Ki-myung, and Park Soo-gwan, Chairman of YC Tec Co., Ltd. The attendees discussed various avenues of cooperation for the successful hosting of the exhibition and the establishment of a Southern Coastal Maritime Economic Belt.

The 2026 World Island Exhibition Yeosu Korea (hereafter “the Exhibition”) is the world’s first international exposition centered on islands. Under the theme “Island, Connecting Ocean and Future,” the Exhibition will run for 61 days from September 5 to November 4, 2026, in Jinmo District, Yeosu, as well as surrounding islands such as Gaedo and Geumodo. Over 30 countries are expected to participate, and the number of visitors is projected to exceed three million.

Under this MOU, the two parties will cooperate on nationally significant initiatives including:
◈ Establishing a Southern K-Cruise Tourism Belt to boost island and marine tourism
◈ Joint marketing for key events of the Exhibition
◈ Securing maritime autonomy and building an east-west high-speed rail network to strengthen the Southern Maritime Economic Belt

Busan and Jeollanam-do will also work to resume coastal cruise operations between the two regions, inspired by the coastal cruise service operated during the 2012 Yeosu Expo. Additionally, the cities plan to develop tourism packages that link their respective marine tourism assets. With Busan’s global marine tourism capabilities and Jeollanam-do’s rich island resources working in synergy, the Southern region is expected to transform into a destination where people want to visit, stay, and live.

The city of Busan will also utilize all available promotional tools, including “Visit Busan,” to actively promote the Exhibition and implement joint marketing efforts. It will continue developing practical cooperative measures to revitalize island and marine tourism.

At the signing ceremony, Mayor Park emphasized the importance of collaboration through initiatives such as the Southern K-Cruise Tourism Belt connecting Busan and Yeosu, and the Southern Coastal Blue Economy Belt.

He also noted that with Busan’s world-class maritime infrastructure and science and technology capabilities, and Jeollanam-do’s abundant marine resources, both regions must serve as central pillars in advancing South Korea’s global maritime competitiveness.

Mayor Park further stated:
“South Korea is currently facing multiple challenges, including weakening structural growth potential due to the capital-centric system and regional marginalization. It is now time to rekindle the nation’s growth engine through marine cooperation centered in the Southern region.”

He concluded:
“Busan and Jeollanam-do will jointly address key agendas such as securing maritime autonomy and expanding east-west connectivity to establish a practical framework for mutual cooperation. We will continue working closely together to build a Southern Coastal Maritime Economic Belt and open a new future for the Republic of Korea.”