President Lee Myung-bak today visited the southern port city of Yeosu in South Korea to support the city’s successful hosting of this year’s World Expo.

The event will open in May for a 93-day run attracting more than 8 million visitors from around the world.

The National Pavilion of the United Arab Emirates(UAE) is expected to take the center stage in the event as was the case with Shanghai Expo 2010 during which UAE pavilion of a huge golden sand dune inspired by the country’s desert was in the spotlight of the news media throughout the event.

The president discussed ways to make the event a success during a luncheon meeting with chiefs of 15 metropolitan and provincial governments, including Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, at the office of the Yeosu Expo organizing committee.

“Let the central government as well as the entire populace muster forces to successfully host the event,” Lee was quoted by his officials as saying.

After the meeting, the president toured the expo’s main venue and made a speech during a local rally to pray for the event’s success. About 800 local government officials, politicians and businessmen also took part.

It was Lee’s second trip to the city in recent months. He previously visited the city to celebrate the opening of a double-track electric rail line that will enable the high-speed KTX train to run in the city.