GS Caltex’s culture center, Yaeulmaru, seen here at night, has been set up for the Yeosu Expo that will kick off this weekend. / Courtesy of GS Caltex

By Park Si-soo

YEOSU ― GS Caltex has opened a gigantic entertainment center in this small southwestern coastal city.

The facility, named Yeulmaru, is located at the heart of Yeosu and will host a variety of performances and exhibitions to boost festive mood for the Yeosu Expo that will kick off on Saturday for a 93-day run.

GS Caltex is an official sponsor of the three-month event, offering gasoline to expo shuttle buses free of charge. The company has been operating an oil refinery in Yeosu for 45 years.

More than 300 people, including Kang Dong-suk, chairman of the Organizing Committee for the Yeosu Expo, and Kim Chung-seog, Yeosu mayor, participated in the center’s opening ceremony.

“GS Caltex’s sustainable growth was largely attributable to the continued love and support of local citizens,” said GS Caltex Chairman Hur Dong-soo in a welcoming speech.

“I believe that Yeulmaru will become a hub of cultural events to be held in Yeosu and contribute to quenching the cultural thirst of Yeosu citizens.”

Yaeulmaru, built on 700,000 square meters of land, nestles on the hillside of Mt. Mangma. Renowned French architect Dominique Perrault designed it to strike harmony with surrounding geographical features.

The center has two theaters equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems. They are respectively capable of accommodating up to 300 and 1,000 people, the company said.

There are also several exhibition halls designed to highlight GS Caltex’s eco-friendly working process, it added.

The center will host at least 10 cultural performances and exhibitions during the expo, which will end on Aug. 12.