'Paramount' Childish Mars International Theme Park, Approved as Tourist Complex

Approval Completed for Designation as Gyeonggi-do's Largest Tourist Complex
Targeting Opening in 2029, Construction of Future-Oriented Complex Underway

Hwaseong International Theme Park has been designated as the first tourist complex in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do. This marks the first official approval stage passed, and Shinsegae Hwaseong plans to accelerate the project with groundbreaking scheduled for 2026 and facility opening targeted for 2029.

: Aerial view of Hwaseong International Theme Park complex development project 'Starbay City'. Provided by Shinsegae Property.

According to Shinsegae Hwaseong on the 30th, on the 31st, approximately 860,000 pyeong of land in the Theme Park Zone 8 of Songsan Green City Special Planning District in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, will be designated and announced by Gyeonggi-do as the ‘Hwaseong International Theme Park Tourist Complex.’ It is the largest tourist complex in Gyeonggi-do and the first tourist complex in Hwaseong-si.

The Hwaseong International Theme Park complex development project is a project by Shinsegae Hwaseong to build a complex that integrates a theme park, water park, Starfield, golf course, hotel, resort, and multi-family housing on a site within Songsan Green City in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do. Tourist complexes are designated after comprehensive review of development necessity, feasibility, and suitability of tourism development plans as tourism hubs that develop various tourism and leisure facilities.

The Hwaseong International Theme Park complex development project, which began in 2007, has faced crises including two failures. However, since the Shinsegae Property consortium was selected as the preferred negotiator in 2019, the project agreement was signed in 2020, the land sales contract was completed in 2021, and the master plan (comprehensive plan) was finalized in 2023. In July, the official project complex name was selected as ‘Starbay City’ (meaning a place where everyday and extraordinary experiences shine together), solidifying the project’s determination. In October, the global media group ‘Paramount Global’ was attracted as the theme park intellectual property (IP) holder.

Starbay City, as the largest tourist complex in Gyeonggi-do, will be developed to offer various contents and facilities including the country’s first theme park utilizing the Paramount brand, as well as entertainment, culture, leisure, recreation, shopping, and residential areas. Its excellent accessibility from the Seoul metropolitan area and Incheon International Airport makes it advantageous for attracting domestic and international tourists, and with abundant nearby tourist resources such as dinosaur egg fossil sites, it is expected to establish itself as a representative landmark in Asia, contributing to the local economy and revitalization of the domestic tourism industry.

Gyeonggi-do and Hwaseong-si have also rolled up their sleeves for the successful launch of the project. In October, Gyeonggi-do selected the ‘Hwaseong International Theme Park Tourist Complex Development Project’ as the first agenda of the Private Development Support Center and is promoting swift administrative processing by establishing a mutual cooperation system among Gyeonggi-do, Hwaseong-si, and Shinsegae Hwaseong to discuss support matters. Hwaseong-si is also actively supporting administrative procedures such as prompt permits together with Gyeonggi-do.

Shinsegae Hwaseong is preparing to establish the tourist complex development plan. The plan is to obtain approval for the tourist complex development plan within 2025, begin construction in 2026, and open in 2029.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.