Seoul Arena gets revised opening date after delay
A long-awaited arena development to help Korea capitalise on the K-pop explosion has been given a revised opening date after the project was paused.
Seoul Arena was originally expected to be completed in October next year, but is now targeted for 2027.
The Korea Times reports that work began in November 2023, but IT giant Kakao, which is partnering with the Seoul city government on the venue in the South Korean capital’s northern Dobong district, temporarily halted construction, blaming rising costs.
But the scheme appears to be back on track after a groundbreaking ceremony, originally planned for December, was held this week, attended by dozens of local dignitaries.
“Seoul Arena will become a landmark of Seoul’s northeastern region,” says the city’s mayor Oh Se-hoon.
“Kakao will strive to create spaces and programmes where global K-pop fans can experience not only music but also diverse K-culture and content”
The complex will include an 18,269-seat arena, plus a 2,010-seat performance hall, and is expected to draw 2.5 million tourists a year to the city.
“Kakao will strive to create spaces and programmes where global K-pop fans can experience not only music but also diverse K-culture and content,” adds Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a.
Despite the worldwide growth of K-pop, the country of its birth has been unable to satisfy demand due to a lack of venues, with Seoul Arena set to become South Korea’s first arena dedicated to staging pop concerts.
Meanwhile, a second Korean arena scheme, the AEG-backed 20,000-cap CJ LiveCity Arena, slated to open in Seoul’s Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, in 2024, has reportedly hit the rocks.
Goyang city government recently ended its agreement with CJ LiveCity — a subsidiary of media conglomerate CJ ENM — after the company halted construction in the spring of 2023 due to funding issues. Gyeonggi Province says it will “pursue business with a new vision and method”.
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Second K-pop arena planned for South Korea
A second arena dedicated to staging K-pop concerts is planned for South Korea’s capital city, Seoul.
It was announced yesterday (4 April) that South Korean IT giant Kakao and the Seoul metropolitan government have signed an agreement to start building the arena in Seoul’s northern Dobong district, this June.
Expected to be complete in October 2025, Seoul Arena will reportedly include a concert venue boasting state-of-the-art sound equipment, with a seating capacity of around 19,000 and a maximum capacity of 28,000 for standing events.
The arena will also feature a separate 7,000-capacity concert venue, as well as a cinema and commercial facilities.
Kakao said it expects Seoul Arena to attract some 1.8 million visitors per year and contribute to revitalising the local economy and bolstering the ecosystem of concerts.
Kakao said it expects Seoul Arena to attract some 1.8 million visitors per year
Kakao will reportedly be in charge of operating and maintaining the Seoul Arena for 30 years after it opens, while the venue will be owned by the city government.
Though Kakao has described the project as South Korea’s “first and largest” arena dedicated to K-pop, media giant CJ ENM and AEG began construction on a similar project last October.
The pair’s CJ LiveCity Arena, slated to open in Seoul’s Goyang City in 2024, is reportedly designed to accommodate 20,000 indoor attendees, with the capacity to extend to another 40,000 outdoors.
It is also said to be equipped with “the most powerful live performance infrastructure in the world”, including stage facilities, sound and lighting systems.
Centrally located between five of Korea’s largest cities, AEG projects the new venue will attract more than 20 million visitors annually.
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