The Yeosu Expo is opening on Saturday, putting on display the five years of preparations for the promotion of knowledge, technology and activities for the sustainable development of marine resources.

These preparations by Yeosu as the host of the international exposition are showcased by the “Big-O” core facility for exhibitions and entertainment, a huge fountain over the sea, an aquarium containing robotic fish as well as actual fish, and other facilities. More than 100 countries and international organizations are also set to demonstrate their prowess in marine science and technology during the 93-day run.

The sustainable development and preservation of marine resources are common goals that need to be actively pursued by participants and nonparticipants alike in the broader context of environmental conservation. These goals should be etched in the minds of people through the Expo at a time when the oceans are fast polluted and their conservation is also threatened by the climate change.

In addition to the internationally shared lofty goals, the Korean government and the Yeosu city administration have their national and municipal agenda to pursue. The central government desires to build Korea’s image as an eco-friendly nation while Yeosu wants to put itself on the global map not just as a southern port city but as a tourism gateway to the sea, with its coast dotted with so many scenic islands.

Though it has the “living ocean and coast” as its theme, the Yeosu Expo is not limited to maritime and costal affairs. Instead, it also provides Korea with an opportunity to promote itself as an industrial powerhouse and share its culture with international audiences. At the same time, it provides economic benefits as well.

The nation, which has spent 2.2 trillion won on infrastructure for the event, is set to generate huge profits, if the targets projected by the organizing committee are attained. By the time it is closed on Aug. 12, the organizing committee expects the Expo to have generated 12.2 trillion won in output, produced 5.7 trillion won in added value and created 79,000 new jobs.

Whether or not to attain these targets depends mostly on the number of visitors, which the organizing committee expects to reach 10 million. It expects the visitors, including 500,000 foreigners, to spend 1.2 trillion won at the event.

The organizing committee is confident that the Expo will draw as many visitors as projected. But its confidence will have been misplaced if the problems found in pre-opening rehearsals are not fixed immediately. They include the malfunctioning of the reservation system and the long hours visitors had to wait until they were admitted to certain facilities.

Those who decide to stand in line with no information on wait time and spends five hours until they are permitted to enter the aquarium, for instance, as many did during the rehearsals, would not recommend a visit to the Exposition. One visitor was quoted as asking why an international exposition failed to provide wait-time information when ordinary theme parks did.

Another key question that needs to be asked in luring people to the Expo is if it will be entertaining enough. As the chairman of the organizing committee, Kang Dong-suk, rightly noted, visitors would certainly like to have fun more than anything else. Few would come to the Expo for educational purposes alone.

If the organizing committee is to attain its goal of having 10 million visitors, luck will have to play a part, especially during the rainy season, usually the month of July. The committee says it will provide special programs during the rainy season, including nighttime dance parties and performances by leading K-pop singers. Still, the number of visitors will be cut sharply if typhoons bring long spells of heavy rain.

Another threat to the goal is the potential diversion of public attention from the Expo to the intensifying debate over the presidential election in December. Here again, the organizing committee may not have much to do. If so, it will do well to focus on dealing speedily with a variety of visitor complaints that may crop up each day.