Yeosu Vows to host Environment Friendly Expo
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Citizens of Yeosu, who have just won the bid to hold an international exposition in 2012, cheered at the news and vowed to make it an environment-friendly event.
The organizers reportedly echoed that Yeosu's environmental theme, ``The Living Ocean and Coast'' helped the city in Jeolla Province defeat the other two candidates: Tangier with its cultural, peace-centered theme and Wroclaw, focusing on leisure activities in world economies.
The Bureau of International Exposition members were attracted to Yeosu, seeing the importance of the seashore where more than 40 percent of inhabitants reside within 60 kilometers of the coastline, analysts said. After climate change became such an urgent issue, the attention toward Yeosu's catchphrase increased.
Many experts from all over supported the city's effort to put on a clean event. Futurist Alvin Toffler said at an international symposium for the Expo bid, ``The new socioeconomic structure, where knowledge meets economic productivity, will affect the sea as well as land,'' stressing the importance of the sea and environment.
The Expo Bidding Committee will push ahead with adopting the theme as a Yeosu declaration in 2012 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Stockholm Declaration, the 30th anniversary of the Nairobi Declaration, the 20th anniversary of the Rio Declaration and the 10th anniversary of the Johannesburg Declaration, all calling for joint measures against climate change that threatens humans and the earth.
Also, the city plans to hold international seminars where world experts can gather to discuss sustainable development. It will also give $10 million to help developing countries deal with environmental changes.
``The Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea will be a global festival that suggests new alternatives for the future of humankind,'' said the committee Chairman Kim Jae-chul, promising that Korea will organize a successful International Expo that will invite people from all over the world.