Despite a 4-Hour Wait, Crowds Line Up: Korea Pavilion Draws 20,000 a Day, Nears 90,000 in Total

Over 40,000 Visitors in Two Days Prompt Early Closing for Safety
Media Art and Intangible Heritage Demonstrations Draw Huge Crowds
K-Goods Sales Top 146 Million Won

On the morning of July 26 at BEXCO Exhibition Hall 1 in Busan, the line of visitors for the Korea Pavilion, located next to the main conference hall of the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee, stretched all the way to the outdoor plaza. Around 10:40 a.m., as the estimated waiting time exceeded four hours, the Cultural Heritage Administration notified the public of the crowded conditions via social media. The crowd swelled beyond the venue's simultaneous capacity, leading to the pavilion closing admissions around 4 p.m., an hour earlier than usual.

On the holiday of the 26th, citizens and tourists lined up in long queues to enter the Korea Pavilion set up to commemorate the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, at the outdoor plaza of BEXCO Exhibition Hall 1 in Haeundae-gu, Busan. Photo by Yonhap News.

The Korea Pavilion has emerged as a new "open run" destination in Busan, going beyond its role as an international conference exhibition. According to the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Korea Heritage Service, a total of 21,282 visitors attended the Korea Pavilion on this day, surpassing 20,000 in a single day for the first time since it opened on July 20. Combined with the 19,385 visitors on July 25, this means that during just the weekend, the pavilion attracted 40,667 people. The total cumulative number of visitors reached 93,425, nearing the 100,000 mark.

Attendance steadily increased from 7,391 on the opening day to 7,129 on July 21, 9,683 on July 22, 13,070 on July 23, and 15,485 on July 24. Over the weekend, visitor numbers exceeded 19,000 and then 20,000, breaking new records each day.

The Korea Pavilion is the official exhibition hosted by the organizing country to commemorate the first UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Korea. Situated in Halls 2B, 3A, and 3B of BEXCO Exhibition Hall 1, the pavilion spans an area equivalent to about two soccer fields. A total of 35 institutions, including the Cultural Heritage Administration, National Archives of Korea under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Busan Metropolitan Government, are participating. The pavilion operates 45 exhibition and experiential booths under four themes: “Heritage Meets Advanced Technology,” “Living Intangible Heritage,” “Past, Present, and Future of Heritage,” and “Heritage for All to Enjoy.”

What attracted visitors was the structure of the exhibition, which allowed direct experience of cultural heritage through videos, performances, and live demonstrations by artisans, rather than simply displaying heritage behind glass. The exhibition introducing Korea's 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites via large screens and media art drew particularly long lines, as did “My Heritage: Lived, Living, To Live,” which uses models, videos, and photos to showcase modern and contemporary architectural heritage shaped by liberation, war, industrialization, and democratization. Another popular exhibit was “The Moment of Reflection,” which recreates natural scenery using the colors and luminosity of traditional Korean inlaid lacquerware (najeon chilgi).

On the 22nd, at the Korea Pavilion of the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee held at BEXCO in Busan, citizens are watching the traditional technique of Park Changyoung, the holder of the National Intangible Heritage Gat-making. Photo by Yonhap News.

Visitors were also drawn by the opportunity to witness living intangible heritage demonstrated firsthand by artisans. Fourteen holders of eleven different national intangible heritage titles, such as the craftsmen of gat-making, mother-of-pearl inlay, traditional wooden furniture (somokjang), horsehair headgear weaving (manggeonjang), horsehair decor cap making (tanggeonjang), and traditional archery (gungsi), are openly sharing their creation processes, with some crafts also offering hands-on experience programs. On the main stage of the Korea Pavilion, there are 38 performances scheduled, including Cheoyongmu, Bukcheong Saja Noreum, Yeongsanjae, and Dongrae Hakchum.

Cultural products inspired by heritage were also popular. The “K-Heritage Store,” operated by the Korea Heritage Service, generated approximately 37 million won in sales in a single day on July 25. Total accumulated sales have reached about 146.38 million won. Commemorative coins for the World Heritage Committee, released by Korea Minting, Security Printing and ID Card Operating Corp., also sold more than 380 units.

The Korea Pavilion will operate free of charge every day from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. through July 29, when the World Heritage Committee closes. A docent program, in which expert guides introduce the main exhibits twice daily, is also available. The Cultural Heritage Administration plans to further strengthen crowd control and safety management, anticipating that visitor numbers will remain high during the summer break and holiday season.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.