Seven conglomerates including Samsung Group, Hyundai Motors Group, and SK Group signed up to participate in the 2012 World Expo in Yeosu, its organizing committee said.

Other participating business groups include LG, Lotte, Posco and GS.

The fact that leading local conglomerates decided to participate in the Yeosu Expo shows that expectations for the event are very high, organizers said. The expo is projected to draw in over 100 countries and 8 million viewers from home and abroad.

The conglomerates will each take care of the construction of their exhibition venues and organizing their interiors. The Yeosu Expo Organizing Committee only provides them with building sites, it said.

“It will be an opportunity for companies to introduce their products to visitors while involved in a competition in good faith with their competitors. Each company is expected to spend around 20-30 billion won of construction fees on the project,” organizers said.

Alongside the seven, the organizing committee said it plans to invite about eight firms involved in marine-related businesses and information technology, plus those devoted to green growth.

For such firms, the committee will lease the exhibition venues after it completes them, thus lessening the financial burden on them, it said.

The Yeosu Expo takes place May 12- Aug. 12 at the Yeosu New Port region next year. It will be the first expo in the country in nine years.

By Koh Young-aah (youngaah@heraldcorp.com)