On the 8th, a wolf escape incident occurred at O-World in Daejeon, and the search has continued for a second day. Police and firefighters even deployed drones, but the capture has been delayed. An entry ban has been issued for the Bomunsan area, and nearby schools were closed, plunging the community into turmoil.
This is not the first time a predator has escaped at O-World. In 2018, a puma, a predator, broke out of its enclosure and was shot dead. Despite repeated incidents, critics say safety management has not been properly carried out.
Meanwhile, controversy is growing as Daejeon city has signaled a large additional investment in O-World. Since its opening in 2002, O-World has accumulated losses of about 130 billion won. As visitors declined, the annual deficit has recently widened to around 10 billion won. Even so, Daejeon city last year announced a plan to invest 330 billion won by 2031 to comprehensively upgrade O-World's facilities.
On the 9th, according to Daejeon City Corporation, O-World's visitors peaked at 1.23 million in 2014 and then began to decline. Last year, the figure fell to around 600,000, effectively halving. Cumulative visitors have reached 25 million, but more recently, its standing as a flagship local tourist destination has also weakened, observers say.
Aging facilities are cited as a main cause. With more than 20 years since opening, its competitiveness has fallen, and it lacks new rides. Critics say it suffers in comparison with other regional theme parks such as Daegu E-WORLD and Gyeongju World. Demand remains centered on children, making generational expansion difficult, analysts say.
Admission fees have also steadily risen to plug the deficit. For adults, the admission fee increased from 8,000 won in 2013 to 17,000 won in 2022.
Daejeon city is pushing a large investment plan, saying it will transform O-World into a theme park for all ages. The centerpiece is the introduction of new rides. The idea is to expand experience-based facilities around a roller coaster to draw visitors.
The safari where the predator escape occurred is also included for expansion. The existing area will be increased by 1.5 times, and a complex tourism facility including a glamping site and a water park will be created.
The problem is that most of the funding relies on borrowing. Daejeon City Corporation plans to cover more than 230 billion won, over 70% of the total project cost, through the issuance of bonds and debentures. Critics say that with fiscal capacity already limited, additional burdens are unavoidable.
There is considerable concern in the region. Cho Soo-young, Chairperson of the Justice Party Daejeon City Committee on Climate Justice, said, "Pouring several hundred billion won more into a project with accumulated deficits is no different from gambling with citizens' taxes."