Suncheon Garden Expo Surpasses 6 Million Visitors

On the 149th Day Since Opening, Paul Andonov from Australia Says "Lucky to Have Accommodation Voucher"

The Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo surpassed 6 million visitors on its 149th day since opening.

This means that more than 20 times the population of Suncheon City, which is 280,000, visited the expo site.

The Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo Organizing Committee (Chairman Noh Gwan-gyu, Mayor of Suncheon) held a ceremony on the 27th at the Naruteo of the Lake Garden in Suncheon Bay National Garden to celebrate welcoming the 6 millionth visitor.

[Photo by Suncheon City]

The event was attended by Chairman Noh Gwan-gyu (Mayor of Suncheon), Jeong Byeong-hoe, Chairperson of Suncheon City Council, and visitors to the expo.

The committee first held a congratulatory event at 13:32 for the 6 millionth visitor who entered through the East Gate of the National Garden, welcoming the lucky visitor, Paul Andonov.

Paul Andonov, from Australia, is a corporate analyst working at a research institute at the University of Melbourne. He visited the expo before returning to Australia with his wife, who had been staying in their hometown (Haeryong-myeon, Suncheon) due to COVID-19.

Chairman Noh Gwan-gyu (Mayor of Suncheon) and Jeong Byeong-hoe, Chairperson of Suncheon City Council, presented them with Suncheon Love Gift Certificates worth 1 million won and a stay voucher at Shillange, offering their congratulations.

The Suncheon Love Gift Certificates were sponsored by the expo’s operating agency to support the success of the expo.

Chairman Noh Gwan-gyu (Mayor of Suncheon) said, “I sincerely thank everyone for welcoming 6 million visitors before August ends. Although there were difficult moments due to the long rainy season and heatwave, it is astonishing that one in nine Koreans visited the Garden Expo. I am very pleased.” He added, “In September and October, we are preparing to showcase the essence of the garden with tens of millions of chrysanthemums. We will surely show how beautiful a city filled with autumn flowers and gardens with different seasonal charms can be.”

Paul Andonov and his wife Yang Seon-sim said, “We actually wanted to stay at Garden Stay before, but it was not easy to make a reservation. Being selected as the 6 millionth visitor and receiving a Garden Stay voucher is the greatest gift and makes us very happy.”

Next, they introduced ‘Mongsun,’ a baby squirrel monkey born on the 7th at the Suncheon Bay National Garden Children’s Zoo. The name ‘Mongsun’ combines ‘Mong’ from the English word Monkey and ‘Sun’ from Suncheon. It was selected through a nationwide contest, internal review, and visitor preference survey at the expo.

Chairman Noh Gwan-gyu (Mayor of Suncheon) personally hung a name tag on the monkey character representing ‘Mongsun’ and gifted bananas for the mother monkey’s postpartum care and Mongsun’s health. He said, “I am very happy that Mongsun was born during the expo, as if wishing for the success of the Garden Expo. I hope it grows up healthy in this wonderful Suncheon Bay National Garden.”

On the day, the organizing committee also held a raffle event with congratulatory performances, giving visitors prizes such as expo admission tickets, souvenirs, and gift sets of agricultural products from the Palm Lounge.

Meanwhile, the Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo continues its success, surpassing 6 million visitors about two months after reaching 5 million visitors (June 23). The committee plans to present a high-quality autumn garden during the remaining period with events such as ▲the golden reed feast at Suncheon Bay Wetland ▲the National Garden blooming with tens of millions of chrysanthemums ▲various cultural events evoking the autumn atmosphere.

Suncheon = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Lee Yeon-kyung hss79@asiae.co.kr