Cheonan K-Culture Expo
to Feature Enhanced Exhibitions and Facilities
World Expo Expansion Timeline to Be Adjusted
From the left, Hyungseok Kim, Director of the Independence Hall, Seokpil Kim, Acting Mayor of Cheonan.
On May 19, the city of Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, announced that the exhibition content for the "2025 Cheonan K-Culture Expo with My K-FESTA," co-hosted with the Independence Hall and Cheonan Cultural Foundation and scheduled to take place from June 4 to 8, has been strengthened compared to last year.
Seokpil Kim, Acting Mayor of Cheonan, held a press conference in the city hall briefing room on the same day and explained, "This year's expo has been further upgraded from last year through the expansion of exhibition halls and the introduction of AI-based content."
This year's expo will newly feature a Video Content Hall and a Game Hall, in addition to the existing Theme Exhibition Hall, Food Hall, Webtoon Hall, and Beauty Hall. Furthermore, the existing "Hangeul Zone" has been expanded into the "Hangeul Industry Exhibition Hall."
The Video Content Hall will offer experiences such as AI-based film production, while the Game Hall will include a reality game zone utilizing XR and AR technologies, a board game zone, and indie game booths.
In the Beauty Hall, visitors can experience AI personal product recommendations, and in the Webtoon Hall, they can try content that automatically generates images based on text. The Hangeul Hall will showcase content that reinterprets the formative and historical significance of Hangeul in a modern way using immersive media.
The expo will be organized into several zones, including the Welcome Zone, Challenge Zone, Kids Zone, Food Zone, and K-Univ Zone. It will also feature a K-OST concert, an SBS open broadcast, musicals, tribute concerts, and youth fringe performances. Notably, the opening ceremony fireworks will be replaced with a drone light show in consideration of the environment.
This year's expo will also enhance visitor convenience. Facilities such as nursing rooms, sunshades, five emergency vehicles, and three medical support teams will be provided to ensure a safe environment for attendees.
The city has appointed official ambassadors for the expo, including Noah Park (AI composer and lyricist), Heebin Lee (winner of the 2025 Korea Hanbok Beauty Contest), and Grimzo (author of the webtoon Iljindam-dangiljin), and will actively promote the event.
Acting Mayor Seokpil Kim stated, "I hope this expo will present the potential for industrial growth based on K-culture and serve as an opportunity to establish a unique cultural brand for Cheonan," adding, "We will make thorough preparations."
Hyungseok Kim, Director of the Independence Hall, also said, "According to the Independence Hall Act, we are tasked with collecting, exhibiting, researching, and educating about the history of national development," and added, "Since this expo represents K-culture, which exemplifies Korea's development, we will mobilize all our capabilities to ensure its successful hosting."
Meanwhile, regarding the expansion of the World Expo, the city stated, "Last year, we applied for approval from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, but it has not yet been approved," and added, "We will adjust the implementation timeline from 2027 as needed and continue preparations in consultation with the central government."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
