By 2023, Incheon, South Korea will host an entertainment complex anchored by an integrated resort called Inspire. A project of U.S.-based tribal operator Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, Inspire will include a five-star hotel with more than 1,200 rooms, a 15,000-seat arena, convention facility, a foreigners-only casino and a Paramount Pictures indoor theme park, all clustered around Incheon International Airport.
According to the Korea Herald, Phase I represents an investment of 1.5 trillion won (US$1.3 billion). The construction will be completed by the end of 2021 and open for business in June the following year. The outdoor theme park will be completed by 2024.
IIAC officials predicted that the project, worth around 2.8 trillion won (US$2.424 billion) and create more than 10,000 new jobs in the region.
“Once the Inspire resort opens at Incheon airport in 2022, it will not only offer world-class facilities for domestic and international travelers but also provide high-quality jobs in the region,” said Koo Bon-hwan, CEO of the Incheon International Airport Corp (IIAC).
“We will transform Incheon International Airport as the center of global economic activities that integrates aviation, logistics and high-tech industry with the Inspire project by speeding up our efforts to create an economic bloc within the region.”
Paramount’s first-ever international theme park will include 40 branded attractions along with integrated retail, dining and entertainment.
“(Our strength will synergize with) Korean culture that embraces going to a theme park. We are creating a theme park that is really good for the whole family, providing a holistic experience for both parents and children,” said Ty Granaroli, senior vice president of Paramount Pictures.
“We are storytellers. We create movies and contents, and have a legacy of storytelling. People love great stories. But I think successful theme parks in the world are mostly based on their intellectual property,” he added. “We will continue to add new stories to our theme park, as we will make more movies in the future,” he added.
The attractions will be based on the storylines of movies such as Mission Impossible and Star Trek and also emphasize Korean culture and storylines, Paramount said.
“There will be a special show called ‘Dreams of Korea,’ which will include stories and the history of Korea,” as well as a K-pop zone, said Granaroli.
