Taejon Expo '93
Encyclopedia
Taejon Expo '93 was a three-month international exposition
held between Saturday, August 7, 1993 and Sunday, November 7, 1993 in the central South Korea
n city of Daejeon
(at the time spelled "Taejŏn").
. The exposition was an officially-endorsed BIE
(Bureau of International Expositions) specialized exposition commemorating the centenary of the first-ever representation of the "Hermit Kingdom
" (Korea) to a world exposition, namely the 1893 Columbian Exposition of Chicago
. It was also the first exposition held in a developing country.
Being a specialized exposition, the pavilions in the international zone were for the most part pre-fabricated and rented out to the various international participants for the duration of the exposition. One hundred and eight nations participated at Taejon Expo '93 - making it one of the largest expositions ever held. Among the most memorable were the flagship Korean and United Nations
Pavilions.
The corporate zone represented the best wizardry that Korean companies could afford, with some spectacular architecture
and contents, all along the theme of the exposition, with the majority of these pavilions being permanent in nature. Some of the most spectacular pavilions included "Starquest" by Samsung
, and the three-dimensional IMAX
presentation courtesy of Daewoo
.
There was also the Kumdori Land fun-park zone, named after the Expo's fun friendly alienesque mascot "Kumdori", which featured some of the latest in roller-coasters
and other more traditional fun-park fare.
Also nearby were the flagship Korean National Pavilion, as well as the engineered United Nations Pavilion in the shape of a graceful dove.
Overall, it can be said that Expo '93 was a great success, with some of the most memorable technological displays seen at any world's fair.
Taejon Expo' 93, like many other former expo cities and regions, is a member of the BIE-endorsed A.V.E. - Association of Expo Cities and Regions, founded in Seville
in 2002. Further information on A.V.E. can be found at the B.I.E. web-site.
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
held between Saturday, August 7, 1993 and Sunday, November 7, 1993 in the central South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n city of Daejeon
Daejeon
Daejeon is South Korea's fifth largest metropolis and the provincial capital of Chungnam. Located in the center of the country, Daejeon had a population of over 1.5 million in 2010. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the...
(at the time spelled "Taejŏn").
Theme
The theme of the exposition was "The Challenge of a New Road of Development", with various other sub-themes around sustainable and 'green' developmentSustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
. The exposition was an officially-endorsed BIE
Bureau of International Expositions
The International Exhibitions Bureau is an intergovernmental organization created to supervise international exhibitions falling under the jurisdiction of the Convention Relating to International Exhibitions....
(Bureau of International Expositions) specialized exposition commemorating the centenary of the first-ever representation of the "Hermit Kingdom
Hermit kingdom
Hermit kingdom is a pejorative term applied to any country or society which willfully walls itself off from the rest of the world. The Joseon Dynasty of Korea was frequently described as a hermit kingdom during the latter part of the dynasty...
" (Korea) to a world exposition, namely the 1893 Columbian Exposition of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. It was also the first exposition held in a developing country.
Site Zoning
The exposition site consisted of three main areas - the international zone, the corporate zone and the fun park zone.Being a specialized exposition, the pavilions in the international zone were for the most part pre-fabricated and rented out to the various international participants for the duration of the exposition. One hundred and eight nations participated at Taejon Expo '93 - making it one of the largest expositions ever held. Among the most memorable were the flagship Korean and United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Pavilions.
The corporate zone represented the best wizardry that Korean companies could afford, with some spectacular architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and contents, all along the theme of the exposition, with the majority of these pavilions being permanent in nature. Some of the most spectacular pavilions included "Starquest" by Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
, and the three-dimensional IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
presentation courtesy of Daewoo
Daewoo
Daewoo or the Daewoo Group was a major South Korean chaebol . It was founded on 22 March 1967 as Daewoo Industrial and was dismantled by the Korean government in 1999...
.
There was also the Kumdori Land fun-park zone, named after the Expo's fun friendly alienesque mascot "Kumdori", which featured some of the latest in roller-coasters
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
and other more traditional fun-park fare.
Theme Tower
The center of the exposition was pinnacled by the 93-metre high "Hanbit-tap" - or Tower of Great Light, modelled on a traditional Korean Observatory, where guests could take a lift to the central viewing platform for a bird's eye view of the whole exposition site. Today, this platform features a cafe.Also nearby were the flagship Korean National Pavilion, as well as the engineered United Nations Pavilion in the shape of a graceful dove.
Overall, it can be said that Expo '93 was a great success, with some of the most memorable technological displays seen at any world's fair.
The Expo Site Today
Today one can visit the former expo site, now called "Expo Park" for a small fee, savour the site from the Tower of Great Light, ride some rollercoasters as well as visit some of the more popular permanent organisation and corporate exhibits from the Expo, including the United Nations Pavilion, which is now a Museum for the Expo. Further information on Expo Park can be found at the official web-site, which, although largely written in Korean, has some English language sub-headings to allow for navigation. Of particular interest is the 'Cyberspace' VR Panorama page where one can view 360 degree photo shoots of various aspects of the site.Legacy
Apart from Expo Park, there is an excellent Korean language legacy website for the Expo, a project of the Expo 93 Foundation, at http://www.expo93.co.kr/. One of the features of the website is an e-books section, where several dozen print resources from the Expo - all official Organising Committee publications - have been reproduced online. Whilst the majority of these are also in the Korean language, one publication in English which stands out is the comprehensive Expo 93 Travel Manual, which is located at this page.Taejon Expo' 93, like many other former expo cities and regions, is a member of the BIE-endorsed A.V.E. - Association of Expo Cities and Regions, founded in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
in 2002. Further information on A.V.E. can be found at the B.I.E. web-site.