The 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo is not just a tourism event. It is a global forum where the future of humanity’s most vulnerable ecological and cultural spaces, our islands, will be reimagined. Against the backdrop of climate change, rising sea levels, and dwindling biodiversity, Indonesia’s participation is not only welcomed, it is essential.
Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic state, comprising over 17,000 islands. For Indonesians, islands are not abstract ideas or distant territories, they are home.
They are sites of identity, of history, of trade and tradition. The sea is not a barrier; it is a connector, a highway of people, languages, goods, and ideas. In this way, Indonesia shares a deep kinship with Yeosu, a southern coastal city of South Korea known for its 365 islands and rich maritime heritage.
Indonesia has already proven its capacity to host international events of great scale and significance. The successful co-hosting of the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang showcased the country’s ability to organize complex international sporting events, while also celebrating its vibrant culture.
Now, with its eyes set on a potential Olympic bid, Indonesia is positioning itself as a rising global presence in sports and cultural diplomacy.
The 2025 Yeosu World Island Expo opening show (PHOTO: World Island Exhibition/THE EDITOR)
This ambition resonates with Yeosu’s own experience of hosting the 2010 World Expo, which was a milestone event under the theme “The Living Ocean and Coast.” Through the Expo, Yeosu transformed itself into a global symbol of sustainable marine development.
The shared trajectory of both Yeosu and Indonesia, harnessing international events to elevate national and regional identity, forms a powerful basis for cooperation and mutual learning at the 2026 Island Expo.
Following its success in 2010, Yeosu has grown into a hub of marine research, eco-tourism, and climate-responsive policy development.
The upcoming 2026 Island Expo builds on this legacy, inviting nations to gather not just as exhibitors, but as co-thinkers and co-creators of sustainable island futures.
Indonesia has much to contribute, and to gain from this dialogue.
First, the Expo provides Indonesia a global platform to share its experiences and challenges in island management. From rising sea levels threatening small island communities to marine pollution, overfishing, and the impact of tourism, these are concerns shared across the archipelagic world. The Expo enables Indonesia to position itself as a leader in ocean governance and sustainable island development.
Second, Yeosu’s experience in smart marine technologies, island conservation, and community-led tourism can offer valuable insights to Indonesia’s coastal and island policies.
Korean innovations in marine transportation, renewable energy, and ecological restoration may serve as practical reference points for regions in Indonesia striving for balanced development.
Third, Indonesia’s vibrant island cultures, its music, crafts, cuisine, and rituals, can find a global stage at the Expo. Cultural exchange is not peripheral; it is at the heart of building global solidarity.
Yeosu is ready to host these expressions in its diverse cultural programs and exhibitions, providing an opportunity for Indonesian artists, chefs, and performers to showcase their heritage to a truly international audience.
But beyond diplomacy and economics lies a deeper purpose: reimagining islands not as isolated or endangered spaces, but as symbols of resilience, autonomy, and interconnectivity. In this reimagination, Indonesia must take center stage, not just as a participant, but as a thought leader.
Lee Sang Ki (PHOTO: Special/THE EDITOR)
The sea once divided ancient empires and island communities. Today, it has the potential to unite.
The challenges that islands face, from climate to connectivity, require not isolated policies but collective will.
The 2026 Yeosu Island Expo, then, is a call to all nations with coastlines and islands, not only to share knowledge, but to shape a shared future.
Indonesia and South Korea already enjoy a long-standing friendship, with diplomatic relations spanning over five decades. Economic ties, cultural exchanges, and youth mobility have deepened in recent years.
The Yeosu Island Expo offers a new frontier for collaboration, in sustainable development, marine ecology, and the wellbeing of island communities.
In many ways, Indonesia holds the ancestral wisdom of the sea. Its island traditions, from maritime navigation to ecological coexistence, carry lessons that the world is now eager to learn. Yeosu, with its open ports and open minds, is ready to listen and to collaborate.
In 2026, when the world gathers in Yeosu to reflect on the past and future of our islands, Indonesia’s voice will resonate deeply. It will speak not only of challenges, but of hope, creativity, and shared stewardship. And it will remind us that while islands may be scattered, our future is inevitably, interconnected.
Let Yeosu and Indonesia walk this path together, from island to island, across the sea of shared responsibility.
Author: Lee Sang Ki – Based in South Korea, Lee Sang Ki is founder President of the Asia Journalist Association, Publisher of THE AsiaN and Former President of the Journalists Association of Korea
