Jeonnam Governor Kim Young-rok Urges Full Commitment to Prepare for Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Kim Young-rok, Governor of Jeonnam Province, visited the preparation site for the 2023 Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo on the 10th to inspect the progress.

Governor Kim urged everyone to devote their utmost efforts to the final preparations, including expanding convenience facilities for visitors and strengthening promotion.

On this day’s site inspection, Jeonnam Provincial Council Planning and Administration Committee Chairman Shin Min-ho and other council members, Son Jeom-sik, Vice Mayor of Suncheon City, Cheon Je-young, Secretary General of the Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo Organizing Committee, and Choi Deok-rim, General Director, participated to review the overall preparation status.

The current overall progress rate is 75%, and preparations are proceeding smoothly according to plan.

The advance ticket reservation rate has reached 3.6 billion KRW, which is 34% of the target amount (10.6 billion KRW). The organizing committee explained that major facility construction will be completed by February, and a pilot operation will begin in March.

Additionally, to attract a large number of domestic and international visitors, a comprehensive promotional agency and strategic promotional execution plan have been prepared. Intensive promotion will be conducted through various media such as broadcasting, newspapers, online and offline channels until April, focusing on major metropolitan cities and nationwide education offices to raise awareness of the expo.

Furthermore, in preparation for over 30 countries and approximately 8 million visitors, clean accommodation environments have been arranged to accommodate about 17,000 people (6,778 rooms), and about 8,000 parking spaces have been secured. A safety management response manual for various situations has also been established to ensure safe expo operations.

The 2023 Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo will officially open on March 31, starting with the ‘Boom-up Festa Event’ on the 4th of next month to rally the residents. The first national garden and the entire downtown area along Dongcheon Stream will be operated as the expo venue.

Jeonnam Province plans to allocate 300 million KRW from the provincial budget in the first supplementary budget to support about 23,000 vulnerable groups, including out-of-school youth and low-income families who are excluded from tourism activities, to experience the 2023 Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo.

Governor Kim said, “The year 2023 will be the first year of Jeonnam’s great leap forward to the world, making Jeonnam a land of opportunity and hope,” adding, “Jeonnam Province and its 22 cities and counties will join forces to attract 8 million visitors and elevate the expo to a world-class garden festival representing South Korea.”

Jeonnam Province is supporting the successful hosting of the 2023 Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo with 31.5 billion KRW from the provincial budget and is making every effort, including securing an additional 5.6 billion KRW in new national funds for the reconstruction of bridge structures and the creation of ecological garden streets, considering the post-use of the expo site.