As one of the largest pavilions at the Astana Expo,
the Korea Pavilion proudly showcased the country’s
renewable energy technology and vibrant culture
It was all glitter and fanfare at
Kazakhstan’s Astana Expo, which
kicked off on June 10. Under the
theme ‘Future Energy’, the Expo
comes at a fitting time, especially as
Kazakhstan seeks to be less dependent on
conventional energy industries and adopt
renewable energy policies in line with the
Paris Climate Agreement.
As such, Astana Expo displays the latest
developments and technologies in the
renewable energy industries. More than
100 different countries are taking part in
this event, and they all provide possible
solutions to the same crucial question—
how can we ensure safe and sustainable
access to energy while reducing carbon
dioxide emission?
Event organizers predict that a whopping
5 million people will visit the Expo by the
time it wraps up. And about 500,000 of
these total visitors will have visited the
Korea Pavilion, one of the largest and most
popular national pavilions at the Expo.
To further promote Korea as a pioneer of
future energy technologies, the Ministry of
Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA
launched National Day of Korea at the
Korea Pavilion. The Pavilion is comprised
of three major zones: the prologue (‘Energy Korea’), the main show (‘Future
Energy, Smart Life’) and the epilogue
(‘Energy Citizen’). Spanning over 1,000 m 2 , it houses an exhibition hall and a theater that showcases Korea’s most
cutting-edge energy technologies. Thanks to live
performances and augmented reality programs, more than 100,000 people have
already checked out the Korea Pavilion in
just three weeks of its opening.
“The Expo is a festival where leading-edge technologies are showcased and cul-
tural exchange and economic cooperation
culminate,” says Standing
Commissioner Kim Young Sam of the Korea Trade
Commission. Kim hopes that the Pavilion
and National Day of Korea will help
improve the national image of Korea
among people from Kazakhstan and all
over the world.
But the Pavilion was more than a venue
for displaying Korea’s technological
prowess; event-goers also got to enjoy the K-Culture Party
that was held on July 18.
K-pop groups Highlight and
AOA, as well as Kazakhstan’s Ninety One
and Black Dial, put on a spectacular 150 minute show during the event. More than
8,000 K-pop fans filled the seats of the
concert which also aired on Kazakhstan’s state-run media outlet Khabar
Agency. K-drama fans had the chance to
meet Korean actor Seo Kang-joon who is
also serving as the Pavilion’s honorary ambassador.
On the sidelines of the main pro-gram,
fruitful discussions took place at the
Korea-Kazakhstan Energy Forum at the
Rixos Almaty Hotel. Jointly held by
KOTRA and the Korea Electric Power
Corporation (KEPCO), 150 experts from
the public and private sectors attended the
forum. The meetings were made up of
informative presentations and panel discussions on Korea and Kazakhstan’s future vision under the new climate regime.
Visitors will be able to check out Korea’s vibrant culture and technology at the Korea Pavilion until September 10.