By Kim Rahn
Organizers of the Yeosu Expo will try until the very last moment to invite North Korea to the international event, said the chief of the organizers.
Kang Dong-suk, chairman of the Organizing Committee for Expo 2012 Yeosu, said Wednesday that the committee officially invited the Stalinist state to the exhibition but hasn’t received a response yet.
The expo will kick off on May 12 for a three-month run in the port city in South Jeolla Province, under the theme “The Living Ocean and Coast.”
“As far as we understand, North Korea’s response is being delayed because of the internal situation there. We’ll try our best to have the North participate in the expo, cooperating with the government and the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE),” Kang said in a briefing held during the third international planning meeting at the Shilla Hotel in central Seoul.
North Korea is a member of the BIE.
“We have reserved a 1,100 square meters site for the North in an exhibition hall, larger than sites for any other country. We’ll reiterate our wished for North Korea to participate,” he said.
Some 300 representatives from nine international organizations and 101 countries took part in the meeting, while a total of 106 nations have confirmed their participation so far.
“Many parts of the globe are suffering from climate change. One of the reasons for this is problems in the ocean, which regulates climate. Through the expo, I hope the international community can come up with ideas for marine preservation and wise use of the ocean,” the chairman said.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and ocean experts from around the world will announce the “Yeosu Declaration” on the last day of the exhibition, Kang added.
“We expect the three-month event to create 13 trillion won in added value as well as 80,000 jobs. The expo will also provide momentum to develop the southern coastal regions from Mokpo to Busan.”