Legoland Korea opens for second season, plans big investments

Scott Lee, divisional director of Legoland Korea Resort, speaks during a press conference on Wednesday at Korea Press Center in central Seoul on Wednesday. [LEGOLAND KOREA RESORT]

Legoland Korea Resort will invest more than 100 billion won ($76.66 million) over the next five years to grow the block-themed amusement park into a landmark of the northern city of Chuncheon, Gangwon.

The company revealed innovations coming to Legoland Korea for the 2023 season, including nighttime park hours, a kids water playground and a season pass system.

Scott Lee, divisional director of Legoland Korea Resort, announced the goals at a press conference Wednesday that was held ahead of the 2023 season opening. Legoland Korea, the first global theme park in the country and the tenth Legoland in the world, is set to reopen on March 24 after closing its doors for the winter season.

Lee stressed a "continuous investment" is needed in an amusement park and presented a five-year investment plan to build extra rides, hotel and an aquarium on the 30 percent of its land that has yet to be developed.

"Merlin Entertainments invested about 300 billion won in the construction of Legoland Korea,” he said, referring to the operator. “Although I cannot reveal the exact investment size, the amount is expected to be 25 to 30 percent of Merlin’s investment.”

Legoland Korea will open two to three extra hours until 9 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from late April through October. It will be the first Legoland in the world to stay open until nighttime.

Park hours may be extended on weekdays as well during peak months after seeing demand, an official from Legoland told the Korea JoongAng Daily.

“Unlike other parts of the world where Legoland is located. like Europe and North America, Korean kids go to bed late,” Lee said. “We took into consideration such different lifestyle so that Korean customers would be able to enjoy the park better along with the beautiful view of the lake and the mountain.”

A brand-new water playground for children will open in July, Lee added, which will be built on a 9,095 square-meter-large location in the northeastern part of the Legoland park. Five new swimming pools will debut with parasols and shade screens. It will also host a children’s version of the popular Water Bomb festival.

Another new feature includes a season pass system. It is the first time for an amusement park in Korea to roll out such system.

Season passes will allow visitors to come with unlimited admissions during a specific season. They will be sold for all seasons — except for winter — at 89,000 won, starting with the spring pass available for purchase from Friday.

Such plans come after Legoland Korea was mired in trouble months after opening in May last year, including operational issues of some of its rides, expensive parking fees and its location being too far from the capital region.

A credit crunch that was triggered by the default of a company related to a local Legoland Korea developer rattled the Korean financial market.

“It is a pity that people think of the ‘Legoland crisis’ when thinking of Legoland Korea,” Lee said, adding that Legoland has “no direct relationship” with last year’s credit crunch.

“Legoland Korea and Merlin Entertainments are financially sound,” noted Lee. “Legoland Korea’s future investment is expected to be made through funding from the Merlin global headquarters and not through the existing capital.”

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]