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Cherry blossoms were in full bloom along the 3 km road from the Yeosu Express Bus Terminal to the New Port. ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t rain in the next few days,¡± one taxi driver fretted as he passed along this beautiful road. He was worried that the cherry blossoms would fall to the ground before an inspection team from the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) arrives in Yeosu. That is how strong the hopes of this city¡¯s residents are of hosting the 2012 World Expo. And as the man had hoped, the delegation of inspectors passed by the cherry blossom road amid an enthusiastic welcome from the city¡¯s residents.
Of the city¡¯s fewer than 300,000 residents, 80,000 have volunteered to help out in efforts to spruce up its streets. Residents placed pots of flowers on their porches and cleaned up their neighborhoods. They joined together, determined that they must not repeat the disappointing setback they experienced five years ago. After four rounds of votes in 2002, Yeosu lost its bid to host the 2010 World Expo to Shanghai. For the residents of Yeosu, what¡¯s more painful than the defeat was the indifference they felt from the government. At that time, the government and politicians were focused only on the upcoming presidential elections.
But things are quite different this time. Five years ago, BIE inspectors pointed out the city¡¯s weak transport system as its greatest weakness. This time, the government has announced a plan to build a double-track, electric railway connecting Yeosu with the capital Seoul in just three hours. Construction of freeways linking Jeonju and Gwangyang and Mokpo and Gwangyang, as well as the widening of a highway linking Suncheon and Yeosu will be completed by 2011. After meeting the delegation at the presidential office on Wednesday morning, the president traveled down to Yeosu in the afternoon to throw a dinner party for the BIE officials aboard a naval destroyer. It¡¯s no wonder the delegation said, ¡°It is a very good start.¡±
The World Expo offers a chance for Yeosu to emerge from its isolation and stagnation and become the center of the southwestern coastal belt of Korea. Situated in the middle of the south coast and at the juncture of the Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces, Yeosu symbolizes regional reconciliation and unity. For two years, Pusan National University and Chonnam National University, provincial assemblymen, governors and lawmakers have been meeting to hold forums and seminars to find ways for the city to win the World Expo bid. They all believe that the advancement of Yeosu will lead to the prosperity of the south coast region.
The selection of the host city for the 2012 World Expo will be decided by the 98 member nations of the BIE at a general assembly in Paris in December. We have an eight-month diplomatic battle ahead of us. But victory will not be difficult to achieve, if we can keep up the passion demonstrated from the president down to the residents of Yeosu until the end.
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