Universal Studios South Korea
Encyclopedia
Universal Studios South Korea is a future theme park to be constructed in the vicinity of Seoul
, South Korea
. The park would become the sixth Universal Studios
theme park in the world, and the fourth in Asia
, after Universal Studios Japan
, Universal Studios Singapore
and the future Universal Studios Dubailand, upon its projected opening in 2014. The park will be constructed by a consortium including Universal Parks and Resorts, USKOR and Associates and POSCO
Engineering.
and Pyeongtaek
are among the candidates to host the park. On November 27, 2007 Universal Parks & Resorts
announced that the park will be constructed in Hwaseong City, located south of Seoul and also near Incheon International Airport
, and has been allotted a budget of USD $3.1 billion.
The selection of South Korea for another theme park was based on many factors. Thomas L. Williams, president of Universal Parks and Resorts, specifically mentioned the country's strong economic growth and its love of American movies. He also noted that approximately half of South Korea's population lived near Seoul. The nation's proximity to China
was not lost on the development team. Stanek said, "What we are hoping to do is to bring in a world class attraction not only for the Korean people but to draw tourism to this country."
Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-Soo estimates that Universal Studios South Korea could generate 2.9 trillion won
(USD $3.2 billion) in foreign investment, 190 million won per year in tax revenues and 60,000 new jobs.
In January 2010, developers of the Universal Studios theme park and resort in South Korea said the project is slated to open in early 2014 after being delayed by the global financial crisis. Plans for Universal Studios Korea Resort, billed as the largest such Universal project in Asia, were originally announced in May 2007 amid hopes it would be up and running in 2012. Kim Moon-Soo, governor of the province in which the resort is set to be built, blamed the worldwide financial meltdown for the delay, but said the large-scale project is back on track. Construction is scheduled to start at the beginning of next year, according to a release.
"Our Universal Studios in Korea is bigger than all the other studios combined," Kim said at a press event, referring to theme parks already operating in Orlando, Florida and Universal City, California in the United States, Osaka, Japan and another one finished some parts of construction in Singapore. "This will be a remarkable landmark in terms of tourism in Korea," he said.
A total of 15 partners are participating in the development, including South Korean conglomerate Lotte Group and builder Posco
E&C. They signed a framework agreement on January 19, 2010, to raise capital for the 3 trillion won ($2.7 billion) project expected to attract 15 million visitors a year in South Korea and from abroad.
and Universal Studios Japan
. The park will most likely include popular attractions from its sister parks, such as those based on King Kong
, Jurassic Park
, E.T.
, and Shrek
.
Universal Parks & Resorts CEO Thomas L. Williams stated during the signing of the framework agreement that, in addition to the theme park, the project will include a water park, shopping center, hotels and a golf course and has renowned American director Steven Spielberg as creative consultant. It was also noted that the park would be influenced not only by American movie icons, but those of the South Korean film industry, as well.
had announced plans for a future park in Shanghai
, China, which itself was unveiled after Viacom
subsidiary Paramount Pictures
announced it was exploring the potential for its own theme park near Seoul. Each of these parks would be going up against two popular local parks, Everland
and Lotte World
. Everland hosted 7.5 million guests in 2006, ranking it fourth in Asia behind the two Tokyo Disney Resort
parks and Universal Studios Japan, while Lotte World attracted 5.5 million guests to land in fifth place.
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. The park would become the sixth Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
theme park in the world, and the fourth in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, after Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan
, located in Osaka, is one of four Universal Studios theme parks, owned and operated by USJ Co., Ltd. . The park is similar to Universal Orlando Resort, since it contains many of the same rides. Most visitors are Japanese tourists or tourists from other Asian countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong,...
, Universal Studios Singapore
Universal Studios Singapore
Universal Studios Singapore is a theme park located within Resorts World Sentosa on Sentosa Island, Singapore. It was a key component of Genting's bid for the right to build Singapore's second integrated resort. On 8 December 2006, the Singapore government announced that the consortium had won the...
and the future Universal Studios Dubailand, upon its projected opening in 2014. The park will be constructed by a consortium including Universal Parks and Resorts, USKOR and Associates and POSCO
POSCO
POSCO is a multinational steel-making company headquartered in Pohang, South Korea. It is the world's third-largest steelmaker by market value and the most profitable Asia-based steelmaker....
Engineering.
Development history
Universal Studios South Korea was first announced on May 22, 2007 by Frank P. Stanek, the president of USKOR and Associates. While the announcement confirmed that they intended to construct a park in the country, USKOR declined to elaborate on other major details, such as a location and a construction budget, although local officials in the Gyeonggi Province stated that AnsanAnsan
Ansan is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It lies south of Seoul, and is part of the Seoul National Capital Area. It is connected to Seoul by rail via Seoul Subway Line 4....
and Pyeongtaek
Pyeongtaek
Pyeongtaek is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Located in the southwestern part of the province, Pyeongtaek was founded as a union of two districts in 940 AD, during the Goryeo dynasty. It was elevated to city status in 1986, and is home to a South Korean naval base and a large...
are among the candidates to host the park. On November 27, 2007 Universal Parks & Resorts
Universal Parks & Resorts
Universal Parks and Resorts is the theme park division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group and General Electric. The division is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the various Universal Studios resort properties around the world...
announced that the park will be constructed in Hwaseong City, located south of Seoul and also near Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport is the largest airport in South Korea, the primary airport serving the Seoul national capital area, and one of the largest and busiest airports in the world...
, and has been allotted a budget of USD $3.1 billion.
The selection of South Korea for another theme park was based on many factors. Thomas L. Williams, president of Universal Parks and Resorts, specifically mentioned the country's strong economic growth and its love of American movies. He also noted that approximately half of South Korea's population lived near Seoul. The nation's proximity to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
was not lost on the development team. Stanek said, "What we are hoping to do is to bring in a world class attraction not only for the Korean people but to draw tourism to this country."
Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-Soo estimates that Universal Studios South Korea could generate 2.9 trillion won
South Korean won
The won is the currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and appears only in foreign exchange rates...
(USD $3.2 billion) in foreign investment, 190 million won per year in tax revenues and 60,000 new jobs.
In January 2010, developers of the Universal Studios theme park and resort in South Korea said the project is slated to open in early 2014 after being delayed by the global financial crisis. Plans for Universal Studios Korea Resort, billed as the largest such Universal project in Asia, were originally announced in May 2007 amid hopes it would be up and running in 2012. Kim Moon-Soo, governor of the province in which the resort is set to be built, blamed the worldwide financial meltdown for the delay, but said the large-scale project is back on track. Construction is scheduled to start at the beginning of next year, according to a release.
"Our Universal Studios in Korea is bigger than all the other studios combined," Kim said at a press event, referring to theme parks already operating in Orlando, Florida and Universal City, California in the United States, Osaka, Japan and another one finished some parts of construction in Singapore. "This will be a remarkable landmark in terms of tourism in Korea," he said.
A total of 15 partners are participating in the development, including South Korean conglomerate Lotte Group and builder Posco
POSCO
POSCO is a multinational steel-making company headquartered in Pohang, South Korea. It is the world's third-largest steelmaker by market value and the most profitable Asia-based steelmaker....
E&C. They signed a framework agreement on January 19, 2010, to raise capital for the 3 trillion won ($2.7 billion) project expected to attract 15 million visitors a year in South Korea and from abroad.
Park design
No specifics on the layout or attraction lineup were mentioned during the May 2007 press conference, although both USKOR and Universal suggested that the future park might be larger than both Universal Studios HollywoodUniversal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio and theme park in the unincorporated Universal City community of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood movie studios still in use...
and Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan
, located in Osaka, is one of four Universal Studios theme parks, owned and operated by USJ Co., Ltd. . The park is similar to Universal Orlando Resort, since it contains many of the same rides. Most visitors are Japanese tourists or tourists from other Asian countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong,...
. The park will most likely include popular attractions from its sister parks, such as those based on King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
, Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park Water Rides (disambiguation)
There are various water rides themed to Jurassic Park:* Jurassic Park: The Ride * Jurassic Park: The Ride * Jurassic Park River Adventure...
, E.T.
E.T. Adventure
E.T. Adventure is a dark ride featured at Universal Studios Florida and formerly, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Studios Japan theme parks. The ride is based on the movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. It is expected to open at Universal Studios South Korea and Universal Studios Dubailand...
, and Shrek
Shrek
Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!...
.
Universal Parks & Resorts CEO Thomas L. Williams stated during the signing of the framework agreement that, in addition to the theme park, the project will include a water park, shopping center, hotels and a golf course and has renowned American director Steven Spielberg as creative consultant. It was also noted that the park would be influenced not only by American movie icons, but those of the South Korean film industry, as well.
Competition
Universal Studios South Korea will be entering a competitive market, with both established theme parks and others future projects announced by rival studios. The day before the park was made public, MGMMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
had announced plans for a future park in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China, which itself was unveiled after Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
subsidiary Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
announced it was exploring the potential for its own theme park near Seoul. Each of these parks would be going up against two popular local parks, Everland
Everland
-External links:*...
and Lotte World
Lotte World
Lotte World is a major recreation complex in Seoul, South Korea. It consists of the world's largest indoor theme park which is open all year around, an outdoor amusement park called "Magic Island", an artificial island inside a lake linked by monorail, shopping malls, a luxury hotel, a Korean folk...
. Everland hosted 7.5 million guests in 2006, ranking it fourth in Asia behind the two Tokyo Disney Resort
Tokyo Disney Resort
is a theme park and vacation resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just east of Tokyo. It is owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company with a license from The Walt Disney Company. The resort opened on April 15, 1983, as a single theme park , but developed into a resort with two theme...
parks and Universal Studios Japan, while Lotte World attracted 5.5 million guests to land in fifth place.