Programs allowing visitors to experience the culture of the world's islands and Yeosu's gastronomy are unfolding on the open stage at the main venue of the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo, which embraces the sea.

On the 6th, the second day of the expo's opening, the main venue of the Yeosu World Island Expo captured the eyes and mouths of visitors, ranging from traditional performances meeting the island cultures of the world to a cooking show tasting the islands and sea of Yeosu.

At 11 a.m. that day, a traditional performance from Trenggalek, Indonesia, was held as the first performance of "Island Friends Day." "Island Friends Day" is a program introducing the island cultures and arts of various regions around the world through performances. The performance presented traditional dances and music from the Trenggalek region, offering visitors a time to encounter the exotic culture of Indonesia's island region.

In the afternoon, the "Yeosu Island Cooking Show" with popular chef Lee Won-il was held on the open stage.

Chef Lee Won-il led a high-response atmosphere at the site by conducting the cooking show in a participatory manner, such as having the audience guess the main ingredients hidden inside a mystery box through a quiz. As ingredients were revealed one by one, he raised the audience's curiosity and expectations, creating a joyful mood with his unique witty banter and vivid cooking demonstrations.

In particular, by presenting dishes utilizing ingredients embraced by the islands and the sea, he easily and familiarly unraveled Yeosu's abundant foods and the island's gastronomic culture. Visitors closely watched the process of the dishes being completed, directly experiencing how ingredients from Yeosu's islands are made into a single dish.

Going beyond a simple cooking show, this cooking show was prepared as a program to convey the culture and values of the islands through the medium of "island taste." Beyond beautiful scenery, it provided an opportunity to view the islands from a new perspective through the ingredients grown on the islands and the stories contained in the foods utilizing them.

One visitor said, "I used to think of islands only as tourism resources with beautiful scenery, but through this cooking show, I came to know that stories of the islands are also contained in food," adding, "By directly watching and imagining the taste, I was able to feel the islands closer."

Meanwhile, the 2026 World Island Expo is introducing region-specific foods and various island foods from around the world under the concept of "The Table of the Sea and Islands" along with the cooking show. In addition, during the expo period, 133 programs will be operated to showcase traditional performances and cultural contents from various countries around the world, planning to let visitors experience the islands with all five senses by seeing, hearing, and tasting them.

Secretary-General Kim Jong-ki said, "Islands are spaces where not only scenery but also the culture, food, and stories of the people living there harmonize together," and added, "We hope many people will visit the Island Expo where they can enjoy performances with sunsets while looking at the open sea and taste island foods."

Under the theme "Islands, Connecting the Sea and the Future," the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo is held for 61 days from September 5 to November 4 at the main venue in Dolsan Jinmo District, Yeosu World Expo venue, and areas of Gedo and Geumodo.

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