Republic of Korea - Expo 2020 Dubai
The Korean pavilion sees the virtual and the real blending in harmony, showing a future filled with infinite potential. The Korean characteristics presented through the design of the pavilion are solidarity, dynamic thinking, commitment to innovation and flexibility in the face of change. These characteristics are reflected in the pavilion's façade, which changes constantly throughout the day.
The Republic of Korea pavilion is unique in its modern architecture and interactive content, which highlights the impact of virtual mobility on our modern world. It also demonstrates how these advances are achieved through its key resources, including the great minds and skills of its truly dedicated people.
The exterior of the Korean pavilion is notable not only for its size, but also for the fact that it is covered with 1,597 spinning cubes. The faces of the cubes are coloured red, blue, yellow and white and rotate to form patterns and words.
Four ramps run through the pavilion, which has three floors above ground and one below, and all floors are connected by the ramps.
The spinning expresses the dynamism of Korea. The cubes on the facade turn and people turn through the pavilion by the ramps. In our world, all living things spin - the galaxies spin and even our DNA spins.
The pavilion was designed by three local architects, including Moon, and built by Ssangyong Engineering and Construction.
All visitors to the Korean pavilion will receive a Samsung Electronics mobile device, with which they can take a selfie and create a virtual avatar of themselves before starting the tour. The avatar will become their tour guide and tell visitors where to go and how to participate in some of the activities offered in the pavilion. People can take up to five photos with their avatar during the exhibition and send them to their email address via the device.
By following the avatars' instructions, visitors will have the opportunity to see the future of Seoul and Busan through augmented reality (AR) technology. They will also be able to see a scene of a flying taxi picking up customers at a train station.
Visitors will then be taken to a vertical cinema area, with large cushions on which they can sit and take a virtual trip to Korea. Thanks to a giant screen on the ceiling, visitors have the impression of walking through Korean streets, flying through Seoul and watching a samulnori (traditional Korean percussion) performance.
In the courtyard, which is called Madang, visitors can find a kinetic sculpture suspended in the air. About 40 screens make occasional wave-like movements, showing images of beautiful scenes in Korea, such as the rape flowers of Jeju. The aim is to express how people, nature and technology blend and connect with each other, according to Kotra.
Another event that attracted the attention of many visitors was a performance in the courtyard. Five dancers appeared and presented various performances, including breakdance, K-pop dance and Samulnori. There will be 10 performances a day during the six months of the exhibition. CJ ENM was responsible for the planning and preparation of the performances.
The Korea Pavilion has set up a few booths where visitors can participate in activities such as making crafts such as a traditional Korean lamp and learning Korean calligraphy using a brush and black ink on a sheet of white paper.
After about 30 minutes, visitors are invited to sample Korean cuisine in a Korean restaurant on the second floor of the pavilion. The restaurant, operated by Sonamu, which is located at the Asiana Hotel in Dubai, offers a variety of options from traditional dishes such as bibimbap, bulgogi, galbi (marinated beef ribs) to spicy Buldak noodles. Korean-style desserts and soju are also on the menu.
Before leaving the pavilion, visitors can stop at a souvenir shop, which offers about 300 items of various traditional products, including cosmetics, face masks and sikhye (rice punch drink).