With five weeks left until the opening of the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo, Yeosu City is busy preparing to welcome tourists. From a gourmet tour that will showcase the true flavors of the southern region to tours of 365 islands in the area, it is set to offer a wide range of attractions. Ahead of the 61-day festival running from Sept. 5 to Nov. 4, we took an early look at Yeosu's tastes and charms.
In Yeosu during vacation season, you can spend a long day from sunrise to the night sea. At dawn, greet the sun rising over the South Sea at Hyangiram Hermitage, then start the morning by walking Odong Island, where a camellia forest meets the sea. Ride the marine cable car to witness a spectacle of the blue sea and scattered islands of Hallyeohaesang National Park. The Dolsan drive route, which connects Musulmok Beach and Art Land, is a popular drive for tourists. Yeosu after sunset shows another side. Along the "Yeosu night sea," the pojangmacha street lights up.
◇ Packed with seasonal seafood… a foodie's heaven
One of Yeosu's charms is its food. The star of Yeosu's table lately is conger eel, "hamo." Hamo shabu-shabu—lightly blanched in hot broth and dipped in sauce—is a delicacy you can find in Yeosu in July and August. Mino (blackfin croaker), a stamina-boosting fish for midsummer, and tangy marinated raw tonguefish salad are also not to be missed.
Yeosu's table is abundant in the fall when the expo opens. Gizzard shad rich with fat, meaty blue crabs, and wild kuruma prawns come into season. During this time, many tourists visit Yeosu to taste soy sauce marinated crab and rock crab set meals, along with zesty gat kimchi.
On island tables, you find comfort and solace. Taking a boat to an island, you can experience an "island healing table" prepared by island residents with seafood caught that day and local ingredients. An official with the Island Expo preparatory committee said, "During the expo, through the 'healing table' experience program, we aim to offer both a visit to the expo and a healthy meal," adding, "It will not be a flashy tourist meal, but a humble yet heartfelt table imbued with island time."
◇ Meeting 365 Yeosus on the sea
Another element that makes travel in Yeosu diverse is the treasures on the sea—365 islands. Geumodo, home to the Bireong Trail selected among the "100 most beautiful roads in Korea," Gaedo, which has emerged as a camping hotspot amid fantastic rocks and the sea, Hwahwado, which greets travelers with flower paths, Baekyado, which preserves pristine scenic beauty, and even Geomundo and Baekdo, famed for their lighthouse and coastal vistas—each island has its own appeal.
As Yeosu City built an integrated database of travel routes, restaurants, lodging, and transportation for 12 key islands including the secondary venues, the barrier to island trips—once delayed for not knowing "where to sleep and what to eat"—has been lowered.
Tourists' costs are also expected to decrease. During the Island Expo, passenger ferry fares to and from the secondary venues will be discounted by half. On top of that come stay-focused benefits such as South Jeolla Province's "half-price island travel" and Yeosu City incentives. Products that let visitors enjoy the expo and Yeosu travel at once are also coming out, including a 3-day, 2-night course linking the main venue with Geumodo, Gaedo, and Baekyado, themed tourism connecting Romantic Pojangmacha, Odong Island, and the marine cable car, and a yacht tour operated only during the expo.
◇ Island Expo opens Sept. 5… a variety of events
Preparations to showcase Yeosu and island culture are in the final stretch. At the main venue of the Island Expo set up in the Jinmo district of Dolsan, eight exhibition halls, including the landmark "theme island," will be installed. In the open cultural space with 3,000 seats set against the sea as a stage backdrop, performances will range from K-pop concerts to shows by troupes from around the world. At the secondary venues of Geumodo and Gaedo, island camping, Bireong Trail trekking, and on-board fishing programs will take place.
Seo Young-hak, the mayor of Yeosu, said, "Yeosu is Korea's leading marine tourism city with flavors, a night sea, and 365 islands," adding, "We hope that, through this Island Expo, tourists who visit Yeosu will fully feel the city's charms beyond the expo grounds, stay longer, and enjoy more." Seo added, "Even after the expo, we will make Yeosu a city people want to visit again."