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Construction Update November 23, 2009
Upon returning to Hwaseong, my local helpers and I had the good fortune to bump into a hobby pilot who was just fixing his private airplane. A few minutes later we took off over the eastern part of the yet-to-be-developed Songsang Green City that will eventually turn into the Universal Studios Korea resort.
Construction hasn't commenced yet, but there are rumors that this might happen as early as spring 2010 in time to complete for the announced spring 2013 opening date. Judging by the official website, it is going to be a huge park, blessed with a talented and accomplished management team. I have high hopes for it!
On its website, Universal Studios Korea announces that it aims to become the best theme park experience in the region. To succeed, it has to beat the world number one theme park 'DisneySea' in nearby Tokyo – a sophisticated task. Steven Spielberg, a living Walt Disney, is still the creative consultant for Universal Studios theme parks. With such a captain at the helm, it's not impossible that they might just reach this lofty goal.
Direction Songsang Green City in Hwaseong
Road 77 to the future Universal Studios site
Disney's Beauty and the Beast on the way
The last village before future Songsang Green City
The future Universal Studios Korea site
A small road...
...leading to a private airport
A hobby pilot was fixing his airplane here
Let's fly!
Taking off over future Universal Studios soil
Land reserved for the world's biggest Universal Studios resort
The location of Universal Studios Korea
The end of road 77 on the left, the runway on the right
Turning around
Approaching Songsang runway
Just another office building in Seoul?
Not really! USK stands for:
Universal Studios Korea
Construction Update February 17, 2009
It is frigidly cold here in winter. I am on an artificial island in Hwaseong, South Korea, on which a property development called 'Songsang Green City' and the Korean Universal Studios theme park are due to be built. The flat, open land causing a chill sea breeze make me smile like the Grinch.
Local farmers point out where the site of the Korean Universal Studios is going to be. Posco Engineering, the local company in charge of building the park, told my local assistant that I’ve come way too early. Indeed. There is absolutely nothing here yet. No structure. No fence. Nothing. Just flat, green land.
It currently takes a three hour drive from the nearest international airport to get here, but if some bridges will be built, as I suspect they will, it would cut down the travel time from Seoul’s Incheon airport to 30 or 40 minutes and connect the Paramount Movie Park and the proposed MGM Studio Park with the Universal site. Wow, this is bitterly cold. Universal Studios will have a grill version in Dubai and a fridge version in Korea.
I hope they both see the light of day.
The future Songsang Green City / Universal Studios Korea site
Hwaseong / Incheon area map
Road leading to the future Universal Studios site
Hwaseong dwelling
Approaching the site
Here it is: the land reserved for the future Universal Studios park
Universal Studios Korea land
Farmland
A local pointing to the future Universal Studios site
Dinosaur eggs were found here
Technician surveying the dinosaur site
New Songdo City in the background
A road is being built here
This building looked like it will become a dinosaur museum
Universal Studios Korea site
Location of the dinosaur egg find
All this will be highly-developed land
Hwaseong bus station
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