"The Ramen Tasted Best at Jungfrau in Switzerland"... Controversy over Yeosu Officials' Overseas Trip Reports

Dissemination of Overseas Trip Reports by Yeosu City Officials

107 Reports Mentioning the Islands Expo as a Keyword

Yeosu City: "Only 21 Trips Were Directly for the Expo"

Amid controversy over the inadequate preparations for the 2026 Yeosu World Islands Expo, overseas business trip reports written by Yeosu city officials have also come under fire.

On the morning of the 5th, the sea and islands stretched beyond the main venue of the 2026 Yeosu World Islands Expo held in Jinmo District, Dolsan-eup, Yeosu City, Gwangju, Jeollanam-do. Photo by Yonhap News

Inadequate Trip Reports: "Is This Just Traveling Abroad on Taxpayers' Money?"

According to Yonhap News on September 16, captured images of business trip reports written by Yeosu city officials are spreading across online communities and social networking services (SNS). In the report about a business trip to Switzerland, the official wrote, "The taste of ramen at the top of Jungfrau was truly the best." The report about a trip to Pattaya, Thailand included a sentence after a yacht fishing and snorkeling itinerary: "Tasting it with soy sauce was a truly elegant experience." In some reports, the impressions sections were written in a conversational manner, such as, "Forest bathing is really the best~~" and "Our city should have at least one world-famous attraction~~."

Overseas Business Trip Report of a Yeosu City Public Official in February Last Year. Overseas Business Trip Training Information System

Business trip reports published by The Korea Economic Daily in May also included sightseeing schedules. According to these reports, in 2023, 19 Yeosu city officials visited five countries, including the Czech Republic and Austria, for 10 days to experience best practices for the Islands Expo. Their report included photos of Mozart's birthplace and Belvedere Palace. The business trip reports for Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia in May last year also featured photos of 'luxury cruise fishing experiences' and 'elephant trekking.'

When searching for the keyword 'Islands Expo' on the government's Overseas Business Trip Training Information System, 107 business trip reports from Yeosu city officials have been posted since 2022. During the same period (2022–2025), there were 253 approved overseas business trips involving 1,161 people in total.

Over 70 billion won has been invested in the Islands Expo project. Previously, after YouTuber Kim Seontae, known as "Chungju Man" and featured in the official promotional video, showed the preparation status at the venue, controversy arose over the construction process. Some even expressed concerns that the event could turn into "a second Jamboree." Since the dissemination of these reports, there has been increasing backlash, with people asking, "Did officials just get free overseas travel at the taxpayer's expense?"

Yeosu City: "There Were 21 Benchmarking Trips for the Islands Expo Over Three Years"

Yeosu City acknowledged flaws and copying in some reports but claimed that their connection with the Islands Expo is being exaggerated. The city explained, "There have been 21 trips directly for benchmarking the Islands Expo—conducted in the United States, Japan, China, and elsewhere over the past three years, since 2023." As for the remaining 86 trips, the city clarified, "These were regular business trips for international affairs staff, outstanding employees, and top-performing policy research teams; the reports circulating online fall into this category."

The city said the frequent mention of the Islands Expo in business trip reports is "due to an atmosphere where benchmarking the Islands Expo and reflecting related cases in all overseas trips was actively encouraged." A Yeosu city official told Yonhap News, "We accept reasonable criticism about the lack of preparation for the Islands Expo and the substance of overseas business trips by public officials, but it is regrettable that some are disparaging the Expo based on inaccurate information."

Meanwhile, the 2026 Yeosu World Islands Expo, under the theme "Connecting Islands, Seas, and the Future," opened on September 5 and will run through November 4, primarily in Jinmo District, Dolsan-eup, Yeosu. As an international event promoting the ecology, culture, and future value of islands through exhibitions, experiences, and performances, it aims to attract participation from 30 countries and 3 million visitors. As of now, the cumulative number of visitors has reportedly surpassed 100,000.

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