Big O Show, K-pop, pansori performances adorn opening ceremony of world maritime fair


YEOSU, South Jeolla Province -- Multimedia shows and fireworks embroidered the skies above the waters off this southern coastal town Friday evening during the Expo 2012 Yeosu opening ceremony.

About 2,400 people including President Lee Myung-bak and Bureau International des Expositions secretary general Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales attended the ceremony on the eve of the official opening of the 93-day world maritime fair.

Other dignitaries from around the world such as Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, President Ollanta Humala of Peru, Prime Minister Karim Massimov of Kazakhstan, President James Michel of Seychelles and President Anote Tong of Kiribati were also present as well as Korean lawmakers and regional leaders.

Over the next three months, 104 countries, 10 international organizations including the U.N., 23 local governments and Korea’s leading companies will take part in the Yeosu Expo.

“Together with these participants, the Expo will provide an opportunity to address the challenge of climate change faced by the international community, and propose the ocean as the vision for sustainable development of humankind in the 21st century,” Kang Dong-suk, chairman of the Yeosu Expo organizing committee, said in his welcome remarks.

“The organizing committee has made its utmost efforts to prepare exhibitions that will showcase the preciousness and endless possibilities of the ocean, the Expo’s theme.”

BIE’s Loscertales thanked the Korean government for its cooperation and “the opportunity to bring to the citizens and the world a better understanding of the oceans and coasts for the benefit of humankind.”

“Expo 2012 Yeosu is, through its powerful theme, an urgent call for attention to the oceans and coasts as living entities that support life on the planet,” Loscertales said in his congratulatory speech.

“Every field of human activity is touched by the health of maritime resources, and every citizen on this planet can contribute, in a smaller or bigger way, to their preservation.”

To match the theme of the Expo “Living Ocean and Coast,” the opening ceremony consisted of various parades and performances ranging from K-pop to traditional music on the waters.

The ceremony, themed “Dreaming Ocean,” began with an open concert by a wind orchestra and a choir on the floating stage while dozens of sailboats, yachts and traditional boats paraded on the sea. Video images featuring the life and potential of the ocean were played on the Big O.

In the second part of the ceremony, celebrated pansori (Korean traditional narrative singing) artist Ahn Suk-seon and a dance troupe performed “Binari,” a well-wishing song sung during shamanistic rites.

Following the Binari performance, the audience blew Korean conch horns together, starting a parade by an 11-meter-tall giant wooden marionette named “Yeonani” and figures resembling sea creatures.

Then K-pop singer IU sang the expo theme song “Stories Told by the Sea,” while flag bearers entered the stage with the flags of Korea, the BIE, the Expo and the participating countries.

The national anthem of Korea and the BIE were played, followed by speeches by the organizing committee chairman and the BIE secretary general.

President Lee announced the opening of the expo, starting a fireworks display and lighting show.

The remainder of the opening ceremony was comprised of performances by world-renowned soprano Jo Su-mi, B-boys, dance troupes, musical actors and more K-pop musicians, followed by night multimedia shows.

Jo sang the theme song of the Expo’s main weekday show with a choir of children from interracial families.

K-pop groups 2NE1 and Big Bang also performed their hit songs.

The highlight of the opening ceremony was the Big O Show, in which various images were projected on a circular water screen named “The-O” using lasers and holograms along with fountain shows and fireworks. The Big O Show will be held every night throughout the Expo. The three-hour ceremony was broadcast live by KBS-TV.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)