Korea Pavilion to highlight digital technology, culture at Dubai Expo 2020
The facade of the Korea Pavilion at Dubai Exhibition Centre, home of the Expo 2020 Dubai, is illuminated with the colors of the Korean flag. The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) will manage the pavilion during the expo, which is scheduled to run from Oct. 1 to March 31, 2022. Courtesy of KOTRA
The Korea Pavilion is the fifth-largest among 191 participating countries' exhibition venues
By Yi Whan-woo
DUBAI - Korea will showcase its most up-to-date digital technology, used for mobile devices, virtual reality (VR), artificial reality (AR), large, three-dimensional displays, smart cities, automated driving and other Fourth Industrial Revolution sectors at the Expo 2020 Dubai, which is scheduled to kick off on Oct. 1.
Demonstrating the global interest in Korean culture, which has been developed and promoted abroad over the last decade, Korea will capitalize on such technology to offer visitors glimpses into its traditional and pop culture. The expo, which is the first to be held in either the Middle East and Africa, will run for the next six months.
With a total of 191 countries set to join the expo, which has been delayed for a year due to the pandemic, Korea has good reason to promote its achievements, as it seeks to host the 2030 expo in its port city of Busan.
“We hope to have visitors paying a lot of attention to the Korea Pavilion,” an official from the state-run Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) said earlier this week during a press meeting at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, the home of the expo.
The meeting was attended by Korean Ambassador to the UAE Kwon Yong-woo and Yang Ki-mo, who heads the KOTRA offices in the Middle East region.
Korean Ambassador to the UAE Kwon Yong-woo, right, takes a look around the Korea Pavilion with KOTRA staff and other guests during a press meeting, Sept. 27. Courtesy of KOTRA
Operated under the wing of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, KOTRA is responsible for the management of the Korea Pavilion, a 4,651-square-meter-sized exhibition space to be run under the title, “Smart Korea, Moving the World to You.”
The title was chosen in accordance with the theme of “mobility,” one of the sub-topics under the Expo 2020 Dubai's grand theme of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.”
The Korea Pavilion is the fifth-largest among the exhibition spaces of the participating nations.
With more than 25 million visitors expected to be present throughout the expo, the pavilion was designed to optimize a wide range of hand-on experiences related to Korea through architecture, performances, exhibitions and concerts, among others,
It was designed by Mooyuki Architects, a three-member team named after Moon Hoon, Yun Seong-bong and Kim Dong-gyu, and built by Ssangyong Engine and Construction.
The exterior of the Korea Pavilion at night / Courtesy of KOTRA
The Interior of the Korea Pavilion / Courtesy of KOTRA
The pavilion is notable for its 1,597 spinning cubes that cover the facade, symbolically demonstrating Korea's dynamism and mobility under the banner, “Mobile MASSITY,” a blended word intended to mean “mobile, mass and city” all at once.
The pavilion also has a ramp running along the inside and outside, connecting the pavilion's multiple floors.
The exhibition hall is the starting point of the “The Journey of Wonder,” a set of experiences using mobile, sensory and virtual technologies developed in Korea.
Visitors will receive a mobile device at the reception area and start their journey with a virtual twin generated on the device using face recognition technology.
Following the ramp to the third floor, visitors will see on a screen a split-flap display showing an arrivals and departures timetable, as in pre-digital era train stations or airports.
A mobile AR experience is created on the external ramps, with a display of a virtual city based on smart infrastructure technology.
A large, three-dimensional display inside the Korea Pavilion / Courtesy of KOTRA
“Vertical Cinema” is a virtual trip unfolded on a huge screen enabling visitors to experience Korea's smart mobility systems and K-pop music.
At the courtyard is a kinetic sculpture hanging in the air, with 40 screens displaying the movements and other common characteristics found in humans, nature and technology.
The pavilion will host 1,800 performances throughout the expo under the title, “Massive Vibe.”
Ten performances will be held every day at the courtyard, including: K-pop concerts, B-boy performances and traditional performances.
Hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, tours of the experience zones and traditional culture exhibition will be available on the underground floor and first floor.
Visitors can try out AR experiences that show the making of traditional crafts, advanced medical technologies and a tour of Busan.
Korean restaurants are located on the second floor, serving bulgogi (marinated, barbecued beef), and bibimbap (mixed rice with assorted vegetables) as well as more contemporary dishes, such as buldak noodles (spicy stir-fried noodles with chicken).
The souvenir shop on the first floor carries about 300 items, including Korean traditional crafts and art, Korean food products and other innovative products.
Two special events ― Korea National Day on Jan. 16, 2022 and the following five days, called “Korea Week” ― will include evening banquets to be co-hosted with the planning office for the World Expo 2030 Busan.