Republic of Korea Pavilion

THEME: Friendly City, Colorful Life

PAVILION: The three-story Pavilion is composed of 20 letters of the basic Korean alphabet. The Pavilion showcases blueprints of future cities along with the country’s most advanced technology and traditional culture.     

EXHIBIT: The main exhibition hall on the second floor is divided into four sections – culture, technology, humanity and nature – where visitors will experience the current and future urban life of the country. One of the centerpieces of the Pavilion will feature four Hologram guides, or virtual friends, including a fashion model from the Republic of Korea, a foreign chef, a lady and an IT engineer. They represent the country’s culture, humanity, nature and technology respectively. The “virtual friends” will guide visitors to different thematic halls, where visitors will experience the current and future urban life of the country. Visitors will be greeted on the ground floor by a reception desk with helpful volunteers available to answer questions about the Republic and the Pavilion. The highlight of the ground floor is a microscopic view of the capital city Seoul. The iconic buildings and mountains in the city will be shrunk over 300 times. Kiosks will conveniently list waiting times and give further information for visitors to the Pavilion. A waterscreen will have images of Korea projected onto it, while a stream in the floor will cool the interior of the Pavilion. Video kiosks will provide interactive information and fun for visitors waiting to ascend to the main exhibition hall upstairs. There is also a small stage where cultural performances will be given at various times during the day. There is also a small exhibition area on Korean cuisine. An escalator will transport visitors to the second floor and the main exhibition. Here, large-screen displays will showcase various aspects of Korean life and culture using the international languages of gesture and music. The first section will highlight culture, with displays on various types of traditional and modern Korean performance, from classical Korean music, Nanta percussion performances, martial arts exhibitions, K-pop and B-boy performance art and Pansori opera. The second zone will focus on nature. This zone is themed to resemble a lush Korean forest with fabric hanging from the ceiling and the pleasing sounds of the forest, but there are also surprising high-tech touches. A video wall displaying Haneul Park in Seoul will display trees that grow as if by magic by the approaching silhouette of visitors. Video exhibits will display the eco-friendly aspects of everyday Korean life. A startling display will allow visitors to see the Cheonggyechon River in Seoul, whose reclamation from a polluted eyesore to a civic centerpiece has dramatically improved the quality of life in the Korean capital. Humanity is the theme of the third exhibition gallery. Photo slide shows illustrate the generosity and positive outlook of the Korean people. The Table of Love exhibit uses humorous stop-motion animation to illustrate the place of food in Korean culture and its use as a means of bringing people together. Behind the table is fortune wheel, inviting visitors to spin for their own personal fortune. The third gallery is about technology as the Pavilion showcases a digital forest of ultra-large multi-touch walls, fiber optic structures and 3D television screens. Some of the marvelous technologies on display include Augmented Reality glasses, remote medical diagnosis using sensors built-in to home computers so that doctors can examine patients without the patient leaving their home and travel touch sensors which show tourists the most efficient way of going from the airport to various tourist attractions, Visitors will then enter a queue for the main theater; short films will show on a multitude of high-definition television screens while visitors wait to enter. The main theater will present “Chorus City,” a multimedia experience using film, 3D animation and music. A group of heroes called “Wish-makers” take viewers on an enchanting voyage through the many facets of Korean culture, geography and technology. As the film ends, the screen opens up to reveal live actors who complete the presentation, inviting the audience to participate in the making of a city where dreams do come true. The visitors exit the theater into an area previewing the next World Expo, to be held in 2012 in Yeosu whose theme will be “The Living Ocean and Shore.” The final exhibition area on the second floor celebrates the close friendship between China and Korea with an art installation, “The Tree of Geumnan Jigyo.” Ancient Chinese and Korean coins make the tree’s trunk and branches, while traditional Chinese and Korean bells symbolize the “fruits” of the tree.

CUISINE: There is a full-service restaurant on the second floor. The menu includes traditional Korean appetizers, entrees and beverages. Among the selections include Kimchi soup, Bean paste stew, Bulgogi, Bibimbap and kalbi (beef ribs). There is also a snack bar on the third floor where visitors can enjoy eating on a beautiful terrace overlooking the Huangpu River. The menu selections at the snack bar include sausage, Bibimbap, fruit platters, Tteokbokki and rice wine.

SHOPPING: A gift shop on the ground floor will sell a wide array of Korean wares, including lacquerware with mother of pearl inlays, jewel boxes, inlaid screens and fair souvenirs.