Kim Dongyeon Vows Active Support to Expedite Hwaseong International Theme Park Project

On the 25th, Gyeonggi Province signed a business agreement with Hwaseong City, Shinsegae Group, and K-water for job creation and win-win cooperation in the Hwaseong International Theme Park area.

During the agreement ceremony, Kim Dongyeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, remarked, "This agreement is even more meaningful as it includes provisions for local jobs, revitalization of the local economy, and cooperation with local businesses," adding, "Gyeonggi Province and Hwaseong City will spare no effort to support the project so that it can proceed as planned, and if possible, we will work to expedite the timeline."

He also commented on the approval of the "2040 Hwaseong Urban Plan" on the 24th, saying, "The four pillars of Hwaseong's 2040 vision are advanced technology, culture, sustainability, and globalization. I hope the Hwaseong International Theme Park will contribute to realizing this vision."

Jung Myunggeun, Mayor of Hwaseong, said, "I ask that Gyeonggi Province review the (theme park) development plan promptly so that construction can begin in the second half of 2026, not January 2027," and added, "I hope we can achieve the first-phase opening goal in 2029 smoothly and that we will soon see not only Hwaseong citizens but all Koreans enjoying the park."

An Jungho, Head of Green Infrastructure at K-water, stated, "There were many twists and turns before Shinsegae decided to participate in the theme park project, but today we are finally beginning. I believe the success of Shinsegae's theme park business will be the success of K-water's development business, and furthermore, the success of Hwaseong City and Gyeonggi Province. We will actively support and cooperate."

Lim Youngrok, President of Shinsegae Group, responded, "Our goal is not just to build a theme park but to create a truly differentiated global theme park that represents Korea. Although there have been many challenges, we have come this far. Today's agreement is Shinsegae's commitment to working with the local community. There is nothing Shinsegae can do alone, and I am grateful that the governor and mayor are pushing the project forward. I look forward to meeting citizens soon."

The agreement includes provisions for creating local jobs, prioritizing local companies' participation, prioritizing local talent recruitment, and promoting local culture and tourism. The parties plan to form a consultative body to identify actionable tasks for shared growth with the local community.

Kim Dongyeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province (second from left), is taking a commemorative photo after signing a business agreement for job creation and win-win cooperation in the Hwaseong International Theme Park area with Hwaseong City, Shinsegae Group, and K-water on the 25th. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

The agreement is significant in that it ensures the economic benefits generated during the project implementation process will be reinvested into the local area and lays the foundation for continued joint growth with the local economy even after the theme park opens.

The Hwaseong International Theme Park is a flagship tourism and leisure development project in Korea, to be built on a site covering 2,855,000 square meters (approximately 860,000 pyeong). It will feature global-standard facilities such as a Paramount Theme Park, water park, shopping mall, hotel, resort, and golf course, and will be developed as a world-class integrated tourism complex that goes beyond simple amusement facilities to encompass tourism, leisure, culture, and recreation.

Notably, in October of last year, the intellectual property (IP) of Paramount, one of the three major U.S. film studios, was introduced to Korea for the first time, securing a differentiated content base that allows visitors to experience global blockbusters in real life.

Gyeonggi Province will actively support the swift progress of this project. The approval process for the tourism complex development plan, which will be submitted to Gyeonggi Province after review by Hwaseong City, will be handled in close cooperation with relevant agencies to avoid unnecessary delays and enable an early start of construction.

Gyeonggi Province plans to accelerate the project through this unprecedented speed and strengthen practical support to help Hwaseong City emerge as a global tourism city.

The project schedule aims to begin the application for the tourism complex development plan in August 2025, start construction in the second half of 2026, complete the first phase in the second half of 2029, and open in 2030. The first phase will include key facilities such as Starfield, the Paramount Theme Park, and a golf course. Through phased development until 2050, the park is expected to become a leading tourist destination in Asia.

Once completed, Hwaseong International Theme Park is expected to generate an economic impact of 70 trillion won and create 110,000 jobs, with over 30 million visitors annually. This is expected to serve as a catalyst for transforming the west coast of Gyeonggi Province into a world-class tourism hub, significantly boosting the local economy and expanding global investment.

Meanwhile, Governor Kim announced a goal of attracting 100 trillion won in investment during the 8th term of local government in his policy address to the Gyeonggi Provincial Council in February 2023, and achieved this goal during his business trip to the United States last month.

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