The Republic of Korea joined the BIE in 1987. Six years later, in 1993, it organised its first Specialised Expo in Daejeon under the theme “The Challenge of a New Road of Development.” In 2012, the country hosted its second Specialised Expo in Yeosu, focused on the coasts and oceans. Its participation has been recognised with several awards, including gold at World Expo 2005 Aichi for design, silver at World Expo 2010 Shanghai for interior design, and bronze at Specialised Expo 2017 Astana for design and visual presentation.