Shinsegae Group's affiliate, Shinsegae Hwaseong, announced on the 30th that approximately 2.85 million square meters (860,000 pyeong) of the theme park site in the special planning area 8 of Songshan Green City, Hwaseong, has been designated and announced as the 'Hwaseong International Theme Park Tourist Complex' by Gyeonggi Province.
This will be Gyeonggi Province's largest tourism complex and Hwaseong's first tourism complex, which will be designated starting on the 31st.
The Hwaseong International Theme Park complex development project is a venture by Shinsegae Hwaseong to build a complex that integrates a theme park, water park, Starfield, golf course, hotel, resort, and residential units on a site of 4.2 million square meters (1.27 million pyeong) in Songshan Green City, Hwaseong.
Initiated in 2007, the project was halted twice and was revitalized when the Shinsegae Property Consortium was selected as the preferred negotiator in 2019.
In July, Shinsegae Hwaseong officially named the project site 'Star Bay City,' meaning a place where everyday and extraordinary experiences shine together. In October, it attracted the global media group 'Paramount Global' as the theme park intellectual property (IP) holder.
Star Bay City is set to develop Gyeonggi Province's largest tourism complex, which will include Korea's first theme park utilizing the Paramount brand, various entertainment, culture, recreation, leisure, shopping, and residential spaces. With excellent accessibility from the Seoul metropolitan area and Incheon International Airport, it is favorable for attracting domestic and international tourists, and the abundant nearby tourist resources, such as the dinosaur egg fossil site, lead Shinsegae to expect it will become a representative landmark in Asia.
In October, Gyeonggi Province selected the 'Hwaseong International Theme Park Tourist Complex Development Project' as the first agenda item for the private development support center and established a cooperative system among Gyeonggi Province, Hwaseong City, and Shinsegae Hwaseong to discuss support matters. Hwaseong City is also supporting administrative procedures, including prompt permitting, in collaboration with Gyeonggi Province.
Shinsegae Hwaseong is preparing to establish a plan for the tourism complex development. It aims to receive approval for the development plan by 2025, commence construction in 2026, and open by 2029.