Taejŏn Expo '93

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Taejon Expo '93 was a three-month international exposition held between August 7, and November 7, 1993 in the central South Korean city of Daejeon (at the time spelled "Taejŏn").

The theme of the exposition was "The Challenge of a New Road of Development," with various other sub-themes around sustainable and 'green' development. 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 very first exposition held in a developing country.

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. 108 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 a fun-park zone which featured some of the latest in roller-coasters and other more traditional fun-park fair.

The center of the exposition was pinnacled by the "Hanbit-tap" - or Tower of Great Light, 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 beautifully 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.

Today one can visit the former expo site 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 corporate exhibits from the Expo. Further information on Expopark can be found at the official web-site http://www.expopark.co.kr/, which, although largely based 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.

Taejon Expo' 93, like many other former expo cities and regions, is a member of the BIE-endorsed A.V.E. - Association of Former 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, http://www.bie-paris.org.