The World Exposition Milano 2015 is just around the corner, with only some 20 odd days remaining until opening day. The expo will start on May 1 and run for about six months until the end of October with the theme of, "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life." Participants from across 145 countries will gather to discuss the future of food resources.

The highlight of the expo will be the national pavilions designed and prepared by 55 visiting nations. The Korean Pavilion will introduce Korean cuisine, focusing in particular on its environmentally friendly aspects. The theme will be, "Hansik, Food for the Future: You Are What You Eat." The exterior of the pavilion is designed to look like a moon-shaped jar in which people used to serve food. The interior integrates Italian architectural elements, decorating the main hall in a Villa La Rotonda style and adding a vaulted ceiling.


The main exhibition hall on the second floor will shed light on, "How to Live Healthy," giving visitors a chance to think about the problems of diabetes, starvation and eating disorders related to pre-cooked and processed food that confront the current generation. As one of many ways to live healthy, the exhibit suggests Korean cuisine's broad range of fermented foods and introduces many of the preparation processes involved.

On the first floor, visitors can sample some Korean cuisine made in accordance with the expo's theme, and then learn about the cuisine and its traditions by exploring commercial items, such as portable dining tables and the large cloth wrappers used to traditionally pack food.




During the six-month expo, there will be a wide variety of cultural offerings on offer. The "Constancy and Change in Korean Traditional Crafts 2015" special exhibition is set to take place between April 14 and 19. It will showcase around 190 works of art that represent the beauty of traditional craftwork with a modern touch. These craftwork items are to be created based on raw materials, such as metals, pottery, paper, textiles and bamboo.


Another special exhibition about the Korean dining table is scheduled to take place in central Rome for two weeks, starting on April 23. So-called "Kimchi Buses" will be in operation, too, from the start of the expo through to May 16. Also, there will be a celebration on June 26 to commemorate the 131st year of diplomatic relations between Korea and Italy. The week that includes June 26 has been appointed as Korea Week, and that Monday will be the Korean National Day. During the week, a variety of events will take place across Milan, such as a global food forum, cooking demonstrations and traditional Korean performances.

By Lee Seung-ah
Photos: Korea Tourism Organization Milan Expo preparation team
Korea.net Staff Writer
slee27@korea.kr