K-Pop Hallyu World, the Perfect Place for a Performance!
(Published November 19, 2012)

○ Gyeonggi Province has made thorough preparations for the K-pop venue
○ Gyeonggi Province boasts high-quality traffic, tourism, broadcasting, shopping, and accommodation infrastructure
○ Gyeonggi Province and the Korea Tourism Organization work together on the Hallyu Tourism MICE Complex Project
 
“There is no better place for a Hallyu concert. Hallyu World is the place to go!”
The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism is planning to build an arena especially for hosting K-pop events. Local governments are vying to get it built in their own jurisdictions, while Gyeonggi Province has not been shy in promoting its suitability for hosting the facilities.
 
According to Gyeonggi Province on November 19, the local government has long been involved in the government’s plans to build a K-pop arena and has already proposed a 79,359㎡ lot within Hallyu World for free.

Hwang Seon-gu, head of the Hallyu World Project, said with great conviction, “The lot is ready for construction immediately upon selection. We can offer much better conditions than our competitors as there is a lot of administrative red tape involved.” Gyeonggi Province’s lot in Hallyu World already has all the basic utilities in place, including roads as well as sewage, electricity, and telecommunication connections – the essentials of a large arena.
 
The lot is extremely accessible and perfect for overseas visitors, as it is located forty minutes by car from Incheon International Airport and downtown Seoul. It is only 10 minutes away from Juyeop Station (line no. 3), and will be just 25 minutes away from Gangnam, downtown Seoul, once the GTX line connecting Suseo and Ilsan opens in 2017. The convention center KINTEX can accommodate up to 4,500 cars, a perfect solution for parking, which is a common problem at large events.

Construction of the Digital Broadcasting Contents Center and Daemyung Hotel is currently underway in Hallyu World. Both buildings are due to be completed next year, while the EBS Digital Headquarters will be finished in 2016, by which time the entire cluster including the production center for MBC and SBS in Goyang, just a few minutes’ drive from Hallyu World, will be complete.
 
Gyeonggi Province could become Korea’s largest ‘Hallyu tourism center’ with the construction of the K-pop arena, complete with shopping facilities, cultural institutions, and accommodation.
 
To that end, the government is working with “A,” a leading Korean media company, discussing the construction details of the K-pop arena and working closely with the Korea Tourism Organization to build a MICE complex consisting of Hallyu hotels, Hallyu experience centers, open broadcasting halls, studios, a Hallyu incubation office, and everything Hallyu.

Hwang said, “If the K-pop arena is built in Hallyu World, overseas tourists will be able to get there within 40 minutes of arriving at the airport, visit the theme park and tourist hotspots, watch a show at the K-pop arena, stay in a hotel nearby, visit the DMZ area, and shop at Paju Premium Outlets or Lotte Outlets in what could be a very tight and exciting two-day travel package. Our next step would be to induce long-term, realistic support from the central government and build a foreigner-only casino and duty free shops that can attract private investment.”
 
Gyeonggi Province is currently developing Hallyu World, a Hallyu theme park and tourist culture complex project comprising performance halls, hotels, and broadcasting stations on a 990,000㎡ site.
 
The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism will allocate KRW 25 billion in government funds and KRW 175 billion of private investment (KRW 200 billion in total) for the construction of a K-pop arena with a seating capacity of up to 15,000 people. As the project will be heavily dependent on private investment, it is important to have a good road traffic infrastructure for public access.
 
Inquiries (department in charge): Goyang Tourist and Culture Complex Center, Hallyu Development Team / +82-31-8008-8172
 
http://gnews.gg.go.kr/briefing/brief_gongbo_view.asp?BS_CODE=S017&number=17161