In keeping with the expo's theme and spirit
The organizing committee of the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo said Friday it will admit island residents from across the country free of charge from Friday through the closing day on Nov. 4, in keeping with the spirit of an expo dedicated to islands.
The move is intended to let the roughly 820,000 people living on South Korea's 484 inhabited islands — the true protagonists of the expo — visit the fairgrounds without financial burden and share in the value and future of island life, the committee said.
Previously, only residents of Yeosu-area islands not connected to the mainland by a bridge within the past 10 years were eligible for free admission. The committee has now dropped that restriction, opening the gates to any island resident visiting Yeosu.
The committee also said visitors celebrating a birthday on the day of their visit may bring one guest free of charge.
"We took a comprehensive view that sharing the ecological, cultural and historical value of islands is what brings the expo's theme and spirit to life, and on that basis we expanded free admission to island residents nationwide," a committee official said.
Now in its third week, the Yeosu World Island Expo is held at the Jinmo district main venue in Dolsan-eup and runs through Nov. 4.
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