Provincial Government to develop Yellow Sea as global tourism destination through presence of Universal Studios and Natural History Museum

West Coast of Gyeonggi Province to emerge as a world-renowned tourist spot.

Gyeonggi Province held discussions on the West Sea area development process and future strategies during the Gyeonggi West Coast Vision Strategy Meeting held at the visitor center of the Hwaseong Dinosaur Fossil Site on Wednesday.

At the meeting, thirty people including Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-Soo as well as officials from the Korea Water Corporation, Korea Rural Community Corporation and Korea Maritime Institute participated to review the development of the West Coast as a national driving force for growth.

According to meeting records, the province plans to develop the West Coast area as an international tourism destination.  Approximately 1.5 billion people, a quarter of world’s total population, live the region surrounding the West Coast including 1 billion who live within a 2-hour flight of Gyeonggi.  Accordingly, it has the potential to become a popular marine tourism area if competitively equipped.

Currently, Hwaseong Universal Studios, the National Natural History Museum, the Ansan Sihwa Tidal Power Plant, the Air Complex in Ansan Daesong Complex, the Sea Scent Arboretum and Ocean Leisure Town in Seongamdong of Ansan City as well as the Pyeongtaek Tour Complex are located or being developed on the West Coast of Gyeonggi Province. 

Foremost, Universal Studios, which will include a theme park, water park, hotels and premium outlets, is slated to open in 2014, and by 2020, the National Natural History Museum, which will exhibit fossils from space, earth and the Korean Peninsula, will be built in Gojeong-ri of Hwaseong City.

In addition, diverse projects to boost tourism competitiveness on the West Coast, such as the Pyeongtaek Tour Complex and the Tidal Power Plant at the Sihwa Reservoir, are being developed.  These projects will be completed by 2020, and the West Coast area will be reborn as combined tourism complex where marine, ecological, cultural and educational facilities are located.

Governor Kim said, “Gyeonggi Province’s West Coast is beautiful and deserves to be called Korea’s Gold Coast.  Blessed with a inspiring natural environment, it has massive growth potential.” He added, “Gyeonggi Province will do its utmost to develop the West Coast as a global tourism spot in ten years.”

Contact: Tour Promotion Team 249-4722