The 2026 Yeosu World Island Fair is reaching the halfway point of its two-month run.

A barrage of harsh criticisms spanning from exhibitions and performances to overall event operations has reduced the remaining month into a "time for redemption" rather than a celebration of success.

Capitalizing on successive holidays and the autumn outing season, the organizing committee plans to turn the tide and inject fresh vitality into the event by attracting group visitors and boosting active civic participation.

◇ Flurry of Criticism Over Poor Content… National Audit Announced During the Event

According to the organizing committee of the 2026 Yeosu World Island Fair on the 3rd, visitors to the main and sub-venues totaled 457,769 over the 27 days from its opening on the 5th of last month through the 1st of this month.

Achieving the original goal of attracting 3 million visitors over two months is out of the question; considering that roughly half the schedule has passed, revising the target downward to 1 million seems realistic.

Criticism piled up over substandard features, such as a future transportation experience where printing a ticket at a kiosk is all there is to it, a Geomundo boat song performance depicted by placing cloth over a 1-ton truck, and a poorly composed 14,900-won raw crab set meal sold at a restaurant within the main venue.

Compared to the massive budget injected, the event was mocked on social media, with comments saying, "It's even worse than 'Boukangi' the shark that appeared in Busan North Port," while some even consumed it as material disparaging the Honam region.

Local government responses also fueled the backlash, including guidelines by the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated City allowing public officials to process visits to the Island Fair as business trips rather than using annual leave, and an official letter from Yeosu City targeting taxi drivers as the source of false defamation and urging restraint.

Just when the organizers should be attempting a turnaround, they now face parliamentary verification as well.

Ahead of the parliamentary audit, members of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, and others requested data regarding contested issues, such as the status of overseas training for public officials related to the Island Fair and the basis for estimating the 3 million visitor target.

Lawmakers are looking into the background and execution status of the budget, which surged from 24.8 billion KRW at the time of the Ministry of Economy and Finance's international event approval to 71,3 billion KRW in direct project costs, or totaling over 180 billion KRW when including linked projects.

A fierce battle is anticipated during the parliamentary audits of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 6th and the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated City on the 22nd.

People Power Party Supreme Council Member Kim Jae-won mentioned various problems surrounding the Island Fair during the Supreme Council meeting on the 28th of last month, stating, "We need to think about why this situation happened. Because that region is a one-party dictatorship region under the Democratic Party, no one keeps it in check. Even if national budget is wasted to this extent, or if there is wrong budget execution or corruption, there is no check."

Democratic Party lawmaker Cho Gye-won representing Yeosu-eul responded, "It is natural for the National Assembly and audit agencies to investigate how government and city funds were used. Criticism becomes a force to mend the region. However, criticism based on biased perspectives and the standard of verbal violence calling voters' choices a dictatorship is unacceptable."

◇ Attracting Holiday Outing Visitors and Group Visitors… Seeking a Rebound Through Expanded Civic Participation

Although the start was rocky, there are aspects where at least some rebound is anticipated.

On the 19th of last month, when the main venue was opened free of charge to Yeosu citizens thanks to sponsorship from the Boim Group and a prize event worth a total of 20 million KRW was held, some 50,000 people flocked to the venue.

The organizing committee aims to maintain the viewing enthusiasm that briefly arrived during the holiday period, which recorded 67,491 visitors on Chuseok day (the 25th of last month), 59,797 on the 26th, and 37,465 on the 27th.

During the Gaecheonjeol (National Foundation Day) holiday starting today, the "KBC Seomseom Concert," the "Prime Concert," and a performance by musical actor Choi Jung-won will be presented sequentially, deepening the autumn atmosphere of the Island Fair set against the backdrop of the Yeosu night sea.

On Hangeul Day, the 9th, a "Jazz Festival" will be held at the main venue, and the "World Gimbap & Salt Festival" will take place at the Yeosu Expo venue during the holiday period from the same day until the 11th.

Exhibition halls have also been revamped, and starting from the 7th, participating regions of the main venue's international exchange island will change to Hawaii, Kochi, Palau, and others, unveiling a fresh look.

The organizing committee has also expanded free admission.

Until the end of this month, visitors accompanied by children under 12 can enter for free up to two people, and until the 11th—the Senior Citizens' Day commemoration week—those aged 65 and older, rather than the previous 75, can enter for free.

Residents of Busan and Jeju until the 11th, Incheon and Gyeongnam from the 9th to the 18th, and Yeosu residents from the 12th to the 18th can visit the fairgrounds for free during their respective "Participating Local Government Weeks."

Residents of inhabited islands nationwide always enjoy free admission simply by verifying their address.

The organizing committee is also diligently attracting group visits from schools of all levels and public institutions.

Citizens are also lending a hand through talent donations and volunteer work to recover their tarnished image.

Various performances are being presented through "Campaign for Yeosu," a civic participation activity centered around cultural and artistic figures in the Yeosu region, and some cafes have even emerged to provide beverage coupons to visitors.

The Yeosu City Small Business Federation, Resident Autonomy Council, and others held a rally at the main venue on the 29th of last month, promising voluntary participation and boom creation by each organization.

Min Hyung-bae, Mayor of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated City, visited the main venue in Jinmo-ji-gu, Dolsan-eup, Yeosu, on the 2nd to inspect operation conditions and discuss ways to expand visitor attraction for the remaining period.

Mayor Min stated, "It is important to carry over the viewing enthusiasm of the Chuseok holiday into the remaining period. The Integrated City, Yeosu City, and the organizing committee will pool our efforts to pull out all the stops in attraction activities and publicity so that more visitors can find the fairgrounds."

Under the theme "Islands, Connecting the Ocean and the Future," the 2026 Yeosu World Island Fair continues through November 4th across the main venue, the Gaedo and Geumodo sub-venues, and the Yeosu World Expo venue.

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