Official Site of the Bureau International des Expositions

English (United Kingdom)French (Fr)
You are here: Home Articles Nouvelle choisie d’EXPO Yeosu

EXPO Yeosu 2012 News Pick

Expo Yeosu First International Planning Meeting

VGL_Yeosu_First_Planning_Meeting

BIE Secretary-General at the First International Planning Meeting - EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea

09/04/10 - Organizers of EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea held its "First International Planning Meeting" this week on Wednesday and Thursday (April 7-8) in Seoul and in Yeosu, South Korea.

Representatives from 85 countries and 2 international organizations participated in the meeting, during which issues related to the international participation to the Expo were discussed, including the conditions of participation, logistics, and the thematic content of the Expo.

Opening remarks were made by the Chairman of the Organizing Committee for EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea.  Chairman Kang said that "the Yeosu Expo will become an arena where countries can share their visions about the preservation and sustainable development of the oceans."  He expects that the Expo will "become the turning-point where a new blueprint for the future of marine science and technology will be created."

The Secretary-General of the BIE, Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, also addressed the meeting: "Your presence here is a sign of a friendship that links countries and of a shared understanding that the world needs opportunities. Yeosu 2012 is an opportunity to talk about what we can do to improve the quality of our maritime resources, and what solutions we can implement in a spirit of cooperation and solidarity."

The Commissioner of the Expo, Ambassador Lee Joon-hee, stressed the importance the Korean government is putting on the event: "The Korean government regards the Yeosu Expo as one of its highest priorities, and is firmly committed to hosting a successful Expo in 2012 with the enthusiastic support of the Korean people."  He stated that the aim is "not only to provide a vision for the protection and conservation of the oceans, but to showcase the future of green technology in this field. As such, the Expo 2012 will serve as a unifying force in making Mother Earth a cleaner and greener place to live."

Participants were then presented with the master plan of the Expo and an introduction to Korea's southern coastal region.  Presentations were also made on the international pavilions at the Expo, the support to be provided to participants, key features of the Expo including the Yeosu Declaration and Yeosu Project, issues related to the transportation, accomodation, and operations at the Expo, as well as on the commercial and promotional activities of the event.

On Thursday, participants visited the site of the Expo in Yeosu.

EXPO Yeosu will be held for three months in 2012 (May 12 - August 12), with the theme, "The Living Ocean and Coast: Diversity of Resources and Sustainable Activities."

So far, 44 countries and 3 international organizations have officially confirmed their participation to the Expo.

 

3rd International Symposium on the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea

19/11/09 - The 3rd International Symposium on the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea was held today in Jeju, South Korea, gathering high-level speakers and experts to define and develop the theme of the International Expo in 2012 - "The Living Ocean and Coast: Diversity of Resources and Sustainable Activities."

The symposium focused on EXPO Yeosu 2012's vision for green growth, its ocean and coast-related best practices, the Yeosu Declaration, the Yeosu Poject, as well as on the blue economy.

In his speech during the opening ceremony, the BIE Secretary-General, Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, thanked the Korean authorities for their initiative to organize the symposium, an important milestone for the EXPO Yeosu 2012 project, and the speakers for their contribution.  Loscertales said that the Expo, as "a unique opportunity for global public communication," will be" a key asset for governments and international organizations in their effort to promote the major issues at the top of their global agendas and to remind the general public of the targets already set."  He also said that for the city of Yeosu and for Korea, the Expo "will place them at the forefront of the global dialogue on a key issue for humanity and contribute to attach a more innovative and relevant image that advances their brand as well as their cultural and political identity."

The symposium was hosted by the Korean Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, Presidential Committee on Green Growth, the Organizing Committee for EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, and Jeju National University.

   

Austrian Architect Chosen to Design Thematic Pavilion

One_Ocean_Korea

20/10/09 – An Austrian architect, Günther Weber, was selected yesterday as the winner of the “International Competition for the Thematic Pavilion of the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea” for the design, “ONE OCEAN.”

The “ONE OCEAN” will be the first building in Korea to be constructed on the sea.  The Thematic Pavilion will be built off the shore of the Expo site.  

The winning design conceptualizes the ocean as a continuous body of water divided into principal areas, with each exhibition area as an open fluid space.  

The Selection Committee, composed of Korean and international experts, noted, “It has a marvelous flow of space into the building between the two folds of exhibition areas inside, while the warped walls on the exterior mingle harmoniously with the coastlines of the South Coast region.”

A total of 136 teams from 31 countries submitted their proposals for the design contest, including 5 international and domestic teams of worldwide renowned architects.

Günther Weber, the chief architect of the winning project, is a partner at Soma-Architects.  He is a graduate of the Munich University of Technology and was in charge of the steel and façade works of BMW World with Coop Himmelblau Firm of Vienna.  He also participated in the building of the Cinema Center for the Pusan International Film Festival.  

As the winner of the first prize, he receives 100 million won and the right to execute design development of the Thematic Pavilion.

Second place went to Lee Sang-Lim of Space Group, who presented a design titled, “OCEAN ARCH: The Divertissement of Islands,” while third place went to Manfredi Nicoletti of Italy, with her design, “The Great Blue Whale.” 3 different designs won fourth place: “Water For The Soul” by Thomas Pucher of Austria, “Amphibious Aquacultural Seascape Unit” by Nicholas Boyarsky of England, and “Ocean Imagination” by Jang Yoon-Gyu of Unsangdong Architects Cooperation.  

The selected works will be exhibited in December along with the winners of other pavilions.

(Source: EXPO Yeosu official website - www.expo2012.or.kr)
   

Marine and Coastal Protection at the Forefront of International and National Agendas

23/06/2009 - Recent months have seen a range of international and national initiatives on marine and coastal preservation, an important element in the global fight against climate change as well as the theme of EXPO Yeosu 2012 -   “The Living Ocean and Coast: Diversity of Resources and Sustainable Activities” (May 12 – August 12, 2012).

In preparation of its opening and as part of its theme development efforts, EXPO Yeosu held on May 7, in Seoul, ROK, its 2nd International Symposium titled, “Blue Economy Initiatives for Green Growth,” on the potential of the ocean and its resources to combat climate change.  Academics, experts, lawmakers, and others discussed the value and role of ocean-related industries as a future growth engine amidst the ongoing global economic recession.

Taking place in 2012, the year of expiration of Kyoto Protocol—which commits signatory countries to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions— EXPO Yeosu will aim to contribute to a post-Kyoto Protocol framework of action on climate change as well as marine and coastal preservation.

Below, a few examples in the recent months of the global movement to promote a better understanding of the role of the ocean in contributing to sustainable development and combating climate change.

   

Shanghai 2010

Yeosu 2012

Milano 2015

Venlo 2012