These are the words of a member of the Yeosu branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group who participated in the ‘Island Coming’ environmental clean-up campaign held on 29th June, in the lead-up to the 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo.

The 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo will be held for a total of 61 days from September 5th to November 4th 2026, under the theme of ‘Connecting the Island, Sea and the Future’. It is the world's first island-themed exhibition where 30 countries participate to share the charm of each country's island and explore the development potential of the island.

On the 29th of June, volunteers gathered at Yi Sun-sin Square from 10am despite the heavy rain, and participated in the environmental clean-up with bright smiles. At the booth promoting the island expo, there was an introduction to the expo, an introduction to the islands of Yeosu City, and a booth where you could make natural mosquito repellent and a shell frame made of a family photo to celebrate World Environment Day.

Young-soo Kim (56, male), who works at a nearby store and saw the clean-up activity that day, said, “This is a place that tourists frequent, so there’s always a lot of litter, but it’s good that they’re cleaning it up,” and added, “There must be a lot of people who don’t know about the World Expo, which is the main event of Yeosu City, so I think it will be promoted better since it’s being promoted in a place where there are a lot of people.”

Meanwhile, the Yeosu branch of Shincheonji Volunteer Group has been conducting the ‘Island Coming’ campaign for six months since January, with around 100 young and middle-aged volunteers visiting famous local spots such as Yi Sun-sin Square, Manseong-ri Beach, Dolsan Cruise Terminal, and Musulmok Beach.