Legoland Korea Resort
Location | Jungdo Island, Chuncheon, Gangwon Province |
---|---|
Status | Operating |
Opened | May 5, 2022[a] |
Owner | Merlin Entertainments |
Operated by | Merlin Entertainments |
Theme | Lego |
Attractions | |
Total | 18 |
Roller coasters | 1 |
Water rides | 3 |
Website | https://www.legoland.kr/ |
Legoland Korea is a
History
Gangwon Province and Merlin Entertainment Group signed an MOA on the Legoland Korea Resort Development Project on September 1, 2011.[2] A representative of Gangwon Province noted, "Legoland Korea, if opening, will attract two million tourists annually, create 9,800 jobs and boost local tax revenue by 4.4 billion won."[2] The theme park officially opened on May 5, 2022.[3][4][a]
Criticism and issues
Legoland Korea has been marred by debt and financial issues.[5][6] It has also been criticized for its high admission and parking fees for a relatively small park. Since its opening, the actual number of visitors has been significantly lower than the projected two million.[7] Furthermore, there has been additional criticism in regards to the park location on Jungdo Island, which was built over an ancient archaeological site, causing permanent damage. The island was home to a massive site of rare relics going back 5,000 years.[8]
Notes
- ^ a b A soft opening occurred earlier on April 2, 2022.
References
- ^ "Korea's own Legoland to open next May". September 28, 2021.
- ^ a b Hong-goo, Gee (July 18, 2013). "Legoland Korea starts countdown for formal contract". The Maeil Business Newspaper. Maeil Business Newspaper. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
- Korea Times. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- ^ "Legoland Korea Resort opens as the tenth Legoland worldwide". InPark Magazine. May 9, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
- ^ Park, S. Nathan (November 10, 2022). "A Theme Park Crisis Is Wrecking South Korea's Bond Market". Foreign Policy. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
- ^ Lee, Ho-Jeong (October 24, 2022). "Legoland Korea rocks debt markets and surprises government". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
- ^ Jang, Won-Seok (November 2, 2022). "Gloomy future of Legoland Korea". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
- ^ Kim, Hong-nam (September 7, 2022). "Legoland, but at what cost?". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved November 19, 2022.