"Is This Really an International Event?" Simple Crab Set and Truck Boat Song Spark Controversy at Yeosu World Islands Expo

'Chungjuman' Raised Concerns Over Lack of Preparation Before Opening
Online Critics Ask, "Where Was the Budget Spent?"

The '2026 Yeosu World Islands Expo,' which cost over 70 billion won to stage, has faced a series of controversies related to its content and food offerings since its opening. Following criticism that the "Geomundo Boat Song" performance—using a 1-ton truck decorated as a boat—lacked completeness, the latest issue centers around complaints that the soy sauce marinated crab meal set sold at the venue for 14,900 won offers an overly sparse selection for its price.

According to social network services (SNS) on September 17, a video by food review YouTuber "Matsangmu," who has around 640,000 subscribers, documenting a recent visit to the Yeosu World Islands Expo, has been spreading online. In the video, Matsangmu ordered a soy sauce marinated crab meal set for 14,900 won at a restaurant inside the expo. The expo's official website also lists this menu item—called "Ganjang Gejang Bansang" by "Suryo-ok Jinhan Gejang"—at the same price.

The released tray featured soy sauce marinated crab, a bowl of rice, kimchi, corn salad, dried seaweed, soup, and other side items. Compared to the typical marinated crab meal sets in Yeosu, which usually come with a variety of side dishes, this offering was considered rather sparse. Matsangmu evaluated the crab itself positively, stating that it contained plenty of meat; however, he expressed disappointment with the rice, commenting that it seemed as though it had been sitting in a rice cooker for a long time. As this scene spread through SNS and online communities, more people began to criticize the meal set's poor value for its price.

Previously, the Expo Organizing Committee had announced that it would provide high-quality food and beverage services to domestic and international visitors by selecting specialized operators to run concessions. For this reason, the fact that a signature local dish like soy sauce marinated crab is at the center of an online controversy has raised concerns about the event's image management.

'Boat Song' Performance on a Cloth-Covered 1-Ton Truck... Also Under Fire

Before the food controversy, another issue arose with the "Geomundo Boat Song" performance held at the main venue on the 15th. The show, presented by a local Yeosu arts troupe, was intended to recreate "Geomundo Boat Song," a traditional labor song from Jeonnam Province, for expo visitors. The song was traditionally sung by Geomundo fishermen as they worked at sea.

The controversy was not about the traditional culture itself but about the way it was staged. In the released video, cloth is wrapped around the bed of a 1-ton truck to create the appearance of a ship, a sail is attached, and performers demonstrate rowing motions on top of the vehicle. SNS

The controversy, however, was not about the traditional culture itself, but about how it was staged. The released video shows cloth draped around the bed of a 1-ton truck to create the look of a boat, a sail attached, and performers mimicking rowing actions on top of the vehicle. As scenes of the truck’s undersides and wheels left exposed while moving through the venue spread online, some viewers criticized the performance as lacking in quality for an international event of this scale.

Particularly, as it became widely known that the expo’s direct business cost reached 70.3 billion won, commenters on the performance video questioned, "Where did the 7 billion won go?", "Couldn’t they have at least hidden the truck?", and "The scale of the event does not match the level of the staging."

Controversy Over 'Lack of Preparation' Began Five Months Before Opening

The current controversy has been further fueled by concerns about lack of preparation that surfaced multiple times even before the opening. In April, Suntae Kim, well-known as "Chungju-man," released a video introducing the Yeosu World Islands Expo. At that time, with about five months remaining before the opening, the video captured scenes of ongoing construction throughout the venue.

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

After a scene of Kim touring the site and asking, "Why did you bring me here?", was shown, the video—intended as promotional material—was instead seen as exposing the lack of readiness for the expo. Some online users commented that it seemed more like a whistle-blowing video than a promotional one. As media reported scenes of ongoing construction at the main venue, further concerns were raised that the event might become a "second Saemangeum Jamboree."

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