Yeosu and Busan Join Hands to Connect the Southern Coast Marine Tourism Artery

The Yeosu World Expo Organizing Committee signed a business agreement with Busan City. Provided by Jeonnam Province

The 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo is becoming more than just a local event; it is serving as a catalyst for a new direction in South Korea's marine tourism policy. Yeosu and Busan, two maritime cities, are joining forces around the shared theme of "islands and the ocean," embarking on the creation of a marine tourism platform that will span the southern coast.

The Yeosu World Island Expo Organizing Committee and Busan City signed an official memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the Yeosu Expo Convention Center on May 13, agreeing to cooperate on strategies for the successful hosting of the Island Expo and the joint growth of the marine tourism industry.

The signing ceremony was attended by Kim Yungrok, Governor of Jeonnam Province; Park Hyungjoon, Mayor of Busan; Jung Kimyung, Mayor of Yeosu; and Park Sugwan, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and CEO of YC-TEC, who formalized the cooperation between the two regions. This marks the first step in moving beyond simple event collaboration to considering long-term national marine strategies.

Through the agreement, Yeosu and Busan will jointly develop tourism resources centered on islands and the ocean, and they plan to accelerate the internationalization of the Island Expo by sharing domestic and international promotional networks. In addition, they will establish a joint response system to form a marine economic belt along the southern coast.

Park Sugwan, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, emphasized, "Busan is a maritime city connected to the world, and if we create synergy with Yeosu's island resources, it is possible to establish a leading marine platform in Asia."

Jung Kimyung, Mayor of Yeosu, also stated, "Islands are not isolated assets; they become the most powerful content when they are connected," adding, "Cooperation with Busan will be a turning point in the paradigm of island tourism."

Park Hyungjoon, Mayor of Busan, defined this agreement as "a new model for regional coexistence." He said, "Strengthening marine autonomy and expanding wide-area connectivity are the challenges of our time," and pledged, "Busan will take the lead."

With this agreement, attention is focused on whether the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo can further evolve into a platform for discussing and implementing the future of marine tourism.