The first Polopark tourism complex is set to be developed in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang. The plan is to invest a total of 320 billion won by 2030 to build the facilities.
North Gyeongsang Province said on the 15th that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the city of Gyeongju and Luvru to create the Gyeongju Korea Polopark tourism complex.
Attending the signing were North Gyeongsang Gov. Lee Cheol-woo, Gyeongju Mayor Joo Nak-young, and Son Myeong-ik, chair of Seongho Group, the project operator (the development corporation is Luvre).
Under the agreement, North Gyeongsang Province and the city of Gyeongju will push active administrative and institutional support, including permits and approvals, to ensure the tourism complex proceeds smoothly. Luvre will carry out a phased investment totaling 320 billion won. The province expected that about 300 new jobs would be created.
Luvre is the development corporation of Seongho Group, a local company based in Gyeongju, and will oversee the project's comprehensive development. Through this project, it plans to create a differentiated, integrated tourism complex combining sports, recreation, and stay functions.
The Gyeongju Korea Polopark tourism complex is slated to be built on about 2.13 million square meters (about 640,000 pyeong) spanning Dogye, Se-o, and Cheonchon-ri in Seomyeon, Gyeongju. Centered on a year-round polo field, the Polopark will include an 18-hole golf course and other general sports park facilities, as well as a variety of eco-friendly recreation content and accommodations. The development is scheduled for 2030.
Polo is a sport played in more than 80 countries with over 30,000 registered players. In Korea, it is hard to access, with the Jeju Korea Polo Club, operated on a limited-membership basis, essentially the only one.
The province said that along with polo operations at the tourism complex, the public will be able to experience and watch polo directly. Through this, it plans to popularize polo, attract domestic and international tourists, and foster it as a high value-added, special-purpose tourism content, including attracting international polo tournaments.
North Gyeongsang Gov. Lee Cheol-woo said, "The Gyeongju Korea Polopark tourism complex, with the symbolism of being the nation's first public-oriented Polopark, will be a turning point that expands the landscape of North Gyeongsang tourism," adding, "We will actively work to create favorable conditions for investment to revitalize the region."