An international bioindustry exposition underway in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, has attracted more than 700,000 visitors in the first 13 days of opening, organizers said Friday, raising hopes the little-heralded city could emerge as a leading hub of biotechnology.

The Osong International Bio Industry Exposition kicked off on Sept. 26 for a 17-day run. The brainchild of the local government and the trade ministry, the event hopes to garner at least 800,000 visitors by Sunday’s closing.

With the closing just two days away, organizers said they appeared to be well on their way to overtaking the target visitor mark and putting Osong, the host city some 120 kilometers south of Seoul, on the global biotechnology map.

“We expect to generate 347.2 billion won ($326.7 million) in economic value and create more than 40,000 new jobs,” said Lee Cha-young, secretary-general of the organizing committee. (Yonhap)