Original musical 'Shinjikki: The Last Mermaid' and lighting drone show headline opening ceremony
The 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo opened Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the main venue in the Jinmo district of Dolsan-eup, Yeosu, kicking off what organizers are billing as the world's first international island exposition.
Yeosu Mayor Seo Yeong-hak joined children, youth, foreign nationals and island residents in the opening declaration. Min Hyeong-bae, mayor of the newly integrated South Jeolla-Gwangju Special City, delivered a welcoming address, saying about 60 percent of South Korea's islands are located in the region. "Each island is a unique civilization carrying ancient wisdom born from humanity's relationship with nature," he said.
The pre-ceremony program featured a performance by the Yeosu Municipal Gugak Orchestra, building anticipation ahead of the formal opening.
The main performance was directed by Park Myeong-seong, the artistic director behind such domestic blockbusters as "Chicago" and "Mamma Mia!" and drew the loudest response of the evening.
That was followed by the premiere of "Shinjikki: The Last Mermaid," an original musical inspired by the local mermaid legend of Shinjikki, weaving together tales of the sea and island life.
A lighting drone performance then lit up the night sky, bringing the ceremony to its peak.
The festival program that followed featured an hour of performances by Kiki, Jeon Yu-jin and Park Ji-hyeon, drawing cheers from residents and tourists who packed the venue.
The integrated South Jeolla-Gwangju Special City, Yeosu city and the organizing committee said they aim to use the expo — the first of its kind in the world — to showcase the appeal and potential of island life to domestic and international visitors, offering opportunities to stay, explore and discover the possibilities islands hold.
The 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo runs from Saturday through Nov. 4, spanning two months across the Jinmo district on Dolsando, the Yeosu World Expo site, and the islands of Gaedo and Geumodo.
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