Yeosu Expo opening draws big crowds

The 2012 Yeosu Expo got underway in spectacular fashion on Friday night with a lavish opening ceremony.
The International Exposition, in the south western Korean city of Yeosu, opened to the public after four years of preparation and $10 billion investment.
The three-month show, with the theme of 'The Living Ocean and Coast', features pavilions, a giant aquarium and a floating stage for performances along with 104 participating nations showcasing their oceanic culture and science.
Organisers said they expected a total of 10 million visitors by the end of the Expo in August, including up to 800,000 foreigners, mostly from China and Japan.
The Yeosu Expo is being held between the headline World Expos, which are staged every five years. The last was in Shanghai in 2010.
Tourism in Yeosu, home to 300,000 people, has been limited due to poor transport links and outdated infrastructure despite a scenic coastline and hundreds of nearby islands.
However, the South Korean Government has poured in billions of dollars to build new roads and railways since the port city won its Expo bid in 2007.
On Saturday, the site, formerly a cement terminal, was teeming with visitors, mostly South Korean, with long queues forming at major exhibitions by countries including the US, Japan and China.
Japan focused on the deadly quake-tsunami disaster that hit its northeastern coast last year, playing an animated film about people trying to rebuild their lives while protecting sea life.
The US exhibition featured a water screen display showing President Barack Obama expressing a commitment to protecting maritime ecosystems and resources.
Singapore showcased how the city state transformed itself into a lush green metropolis, displaying miniature versions of its urban gardens and its eco-friendly offshore landfill that is home to hundreds of animals and plants.
Australia played a live video from the Great Barrier Reef, allowing people to see underwater scenes of the world's biggest coral reef site and chat with divers.
Behind the scenes there are concerns that parts of the Expo site are not 100% complete, something Expo organisers are masking with a range of cultural and entertainment events from Korea's top music and television acts.
However, organising committee spokesman Cho Yong-Hwan told reporters "there's no rush ... our goal is drawing genuine visitors by word of mouth, not trying to boost attendance with usual free tickets and other artificial measures."
The opening event was attended by Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Vicente Loscertales, Secretary-General of the Paris-based Bureau of International Exhibitions (BIE), among other high-profile figures.
The Yeosu Expo continues until 12th August.

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