Live from Yeosu

Yes, it sounds like the ceremony was a sight to behold.
Sung-hee, you've been in Yeosu a few times now. Are any particular attractions at the expo that you recommend[Reporter : ] There are just so many things to see and enjoy down here in Yeosu, but my favorite attractions are the aquarium and the Sky Tower.
The aquarium here, dubbed the Aqua Planet Yeosu, is the largest in Korea, and is also the nation's first above-ground aquarium.
Here, you can see over 35-thousand kinds of marine life, including rare, endangered species like Beluga whales and Baikal seals.
Beluga whales are my personal favorite.
And the Sky Tower is also another landmark.
Up at the top of the 70-meter tall tower, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the entire expo site.
But aside from these, there are just so many attractions here in Yeosu and it is bound to get crowded.
Now, our Hwang Ji-hye, who is down in Yeosu with me, will suggest some ways to beat the lines and make the most out of the expo.

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The Yeosu Expo 2012 is both grand in scale and long on things to do.
A total of around 8-million people are expected to visit the expo site during the 93-day exhibition and some 8-thousand performances will take place during that time.
Eighty exhibition facilities will also be available for visitors.
And for expo-goers who want to visit all the must-see sites and performances without getting lost in the middle of the crowd, they should check schedules and prepare in advance.
Tickets are available at the Yeosu Expo Station near the expo site, and visitors can also make online reservations on the official website.
However, in order to look around some of the most popular exhibitions such as the aquarium and the Korea Pavilion, reservations are critical.

[Interview : Cho Yong-hwan, PR Chief Organizing Committee for Yeosu Expo] "Thirty percent of the total visitors can reserve tickets for the exhibitions by entering their ticket numbers on the internet website or smartphone application of Yeosu Expo. The rest can make their reservations at the expo site".

The expo will run from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day, but entrance into the site is allowed up until 10 p.m.
Ticket offices will operate from 8 o'clock in the morning for 12 hours and exhibitions will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
When entering the site, every visitor will be X-rayed for safety reasons.

[Reporter : Hwang Ji-hye, emilyfwang@arirang.co.kr] "Visitors are not allowed to carry lighters with them. Animals and open liquid containers are also prohibited".

Visitors can also make use of around 50 convenient facilities, including information desks, nursing rooms and pet shelters at the site.
Hwang Ji-hye, Arirang News, Yeosu.

[Reporter : ] Like I said, there is much to see and enjoy here in Yeosu.
The event will run for 93 days starting tomorrow, so there is plenty of time to come down here and enjoy the exhibitions as well as the sea breeze.
That's all from me here in Yeosu, I will see you guys when I get back in Seoul.

Right.. Sung-hee.
Thank you for that report.

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The pavilions and grounds of the 2012 Yeosu Expo cover an estimated 270-thousand square meters.
That's the equivalent of 240 soccer fields.
Speaking of soccer, the expo is one of the three largest world events held regularly alongside the World Cup and the Olympics.

104 countries and 10 international organizations are participating this year and the organizing committee expects an average of 110-thousand spectators to visit the site each day, which is a third of Yeosu's population.
During the three months of the exposition, up to 10-million people are projected to pass through spending nearly a billion U.S. dollars in total during their stay.

Overall, the event is expected to generate 11 billion dollars in economic value and create new jobs for nearly 80-thousand people.

The coastal city won the bid to host the expo on its second try in 2007 after losing to Shanghai back in 2005.

The Korean government invested nearly 2 billion dollars preparing for the event the second World Exposition to be held in Korea in nearly two decades since the Daejeon Expo back in 1993.
Song Ji-sun, Arirang News.

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Updated : May 11, 2012

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Let's Go To Yeosu Expo!

Let's go to Yeosu!

The easiest way to get to the Yeosu Expo may be through public transportation or Korea's high-speed rail system, the KTX.
Officials predict that more than one-and-a-half million people will use the trains during the next three months for trips down to Yeosu.
The journey to the southern coastal city now takes less time, since the Korean government extended KTX tracks last year to make the trip to Yeosu more convenient.

[Interview : Kim Baek-doo, KTX Passenger] "I take the KTX often and I realized that it is now faster than before. I like taking it because it is so convenient".

So from Seoul Subway Station to the Expo venue it'll take about 3 hours by KTX.
And from the drop-off site, the Yeosu Expo is just a five-minute walk away.
During the Expo period KTX officials say more trains will run.
For those wanting to take the bus instead, the trip to Yeosu from Seoul is about 4 hours.
And if you're taking the bus from Busan, it'll take about two-and-a-half hours.
Traveling by roads are now faster due to the construction of the Yeosu-Suncheon highway, completed last month.
The opening of an expressway joining Mokpo and Gwangyang has also shortened travel time.
Drivers, however, should be aware that access by car to Yeosu will be shut down in selective parts of the city areas to keep traffic at a minimum.
And for those wanting to ditch land for air planes will fly to Yeosu a few times a day from Gimpo airport.