The first celebration for the first World Cup of the 21st century, that will blend 5.2 billion people around the world into one sizzling frenzy will take place on May 29, 8:00pm in front of the Sangam Stadium in Seoul under the theme, "The World Becomes One - Putting Our Arms Around Each Other's Shoulders." Prepared for 2 years by MBC Adcom and other companies, this is an exclusive report on the plans for the World Cup eve celebrations.

At noon, a Folk Fair will be held on the banks of the Han River near Jamsil. Traditional folk games with human cultural assets as participants will take place including folk music, singing, mask dances, and shaman rites. Some 11 foreign countries including France, Poland Portugal, and Costa Rica will also showcase their traditional culture.

A fleet of vessels symbolizing the hope of humanity will leave Jamsil Wharf at 3:00pm. The first boat will transport FIFA invited people and children from around the world invited by UNICEF. Boats of various size will float down the Han River. On the way, famous percussionists from around the world will perform a ‘drum festival’ in Yeoido and there will be a congratulatory dance performance on Seonyudo next to Yanghwa Bridge.

When the peace boat arrives at Sangam Stadium, the evening celebrations will start at 8:pm. A special stage placed in the Peace Park in front of the stadium will present 120 minutes of spectacular performances featuring 4,000 performers. The celebrations are based on the theme of ‘life’ and include creative performances, concerts both classical and pop, a choir, and a "finale" with fireworks.

The events on will begin with a congratulations message as the World Cup mascots shown by lasers fly onto the stage. Following this, percussion performers and 200 dancers appear. They beat the 35 large wooden fish placed on either sides of the audience as the dancers perform a dance that wakes all nature. All the living things that are awake (60 characters and 40 people representing nature) will depict the birth of life through traditional dance. In the background, there will be a bamboo forest of 1,500 trees, brought in directly from Jeonnam, Damyang.

As the forest parts, the 80-member Seoul City Orchestra, conduced by Gwak Seung will move towards the front of the stage for a classical music performance. Soprano Jo Su-mi, baritone Choi Hyun-su, and Japanese singers Satosi Mitzukusi and Akemi Sakamoto will sing arias, and Korean and Japanese songs. After a flag dance of FIFA member countries, former World Cup stars and Roger Muer, UNICEF ambassador will make their appearance. Along with them, 11 "peace birds" will fly into the sky and the audience will wave colorful lanterns. Nobel prize winner for literature, Guenter Grass of Germany, will then recite a poem he dedicated to the World Cup.

Cha In-pyo and announcer Hwang Su-kyung will host the pop concerts, which begins with national singers of Korea and Japan, Cho Yong-pil and Song Jo-yeong. The Japanese male duo Chemistry and high school girl singer Sowellu will sing the official song "Let’s Get Together" along with Korean singers Park Jeong-hyeon and Brown Eyes. The song will be sung in both Japanese and Korean and will be the first time Japanese songs are broadcast live on Korean public television.

A "Future Road" will emerge between the audience rows and a fashion show will take place. When the models walk between the audience, a large ‘barrier’ appears on stage. This wall symbolizes division and conflict and when the wall is open with the ‘sounds’ of the hopes of the world, and a large chorus of 2002 people will appear on the stage with Cho Yong-pil and sing "Arirang of Dreams." When the song reaches a climax, a 15m tall World Cup mascot will appear above the stadium and cheering for the opening of the World Cup will begin. There will be fireworks around the stadium.

The eve celebrations will be broadcasted live on television to 50 countries. Professor Pyo Jae-sun of Yonsei Univerdity who directed this event, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, says, "The celebration contains Korea’s traditional beauty, current figures, and vision of the future on the base of the World Cup ideologies of peace and cooperation. The keywords, 'arms around each other's shoulders' are meant for the world to cooperate more in the future."

(Jeon Byeong-keun, bkjeon@chosun.com )