UPDATE: Disney Studying Building Park In S Korea-Official
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
September 28, 2005 6:02 a.m.
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(Updates with more details, quotes from official, and comment from Disney)
SEOUL (AP)--Walt Disney Co. is studying the possibility of building a Disneyland theme park near the South Korean capital, a South Korean official said Wednesday.
Disney conducted studies on four different sites in South Korea for a theme park and has been focusing on one venue - Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon, a city adjacent to the capital - since late 2004, said Jun Sung-soo, director of the Seoul city government's foreign investment division.
Jun said Seoul "has been providing detailed information" to Disney about Seoul Grand Park, the site of a nature park with animals and a botanical garden. There is an amusement park called Seoulland nearby.
Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak "has a strong desire to attract Disney," which would create more jobs and help boost tourists to the city to 10 million from six million, Jun said. "We are in a position to compete with Shanghai."
Disney has said it is in talks with Chinese authorities to build a second Chinese Disneyland in the financial hub of Shanghai.
Disney currently has two theme parks in Asia, one near Tokyo and a recently opened facility on an island near Hong Kong.
Disney said it had nothing to announce.
"We are constantly evaluating strategic markets around the world, including other parts of Asia, to grow our parks and resorts business and the Disney brand," Lisa Haines, a Disney spokeswoman said in an e-mail message from the United States. "While Korea is a potentially attractive market, we have nothing specific to announce."
Jay Rasulo, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts president, indicated in May that South Korea was a possible site of a Disney park, but that Disney was "not close to a decision."
-Edited by Marissa Chew
DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
September 28, 2005 6:02 a.m.
--
(Updates with more details, quotes from official, and comment from Disney)
SEOUL (AP)--Walt Disney Co. is studying the possibility of building a Disneyland theme park near the South Korean capital, a South Korean official said Wednesday.
Disney conducted studies on four different sites in South Korea for a theme park and has been focusing on one venue - Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon, a city adjacent to the capital - since late 2004, said Jun Sung-soo, director of the Seoul city government's foreign investment division.
Jun said Seoul "has been providing detailed information" to Disney about Seoul Grand Park, the site of a nature park with animals and a botanical garden. There is an amusement park called Seoulland nearby.
Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak "has a strong desire to attract Disney," which would create more jobs and help boost tourists to the city to 10 million from six million, Jun said. "We are in a position to compete with Shanghai."
Disney has said it is in talks with Chinese authorities to build a second Chinese Disneyland in the financial hub of Shanghai.
Disney currently has two theme parks in Asia, one near Tokyo and a recently opened facility on an island near Hong Kong.
Disney said it had nothing to announce.
"We are constantly evaluating strategic markets around the world, including other parts of Asia, to grow our parks and resorts business and the Disney brand," Lisa Haines, a Disney spokeswoman said in an e-mail message from the United States. "While Korea is a potentially attractive market, we have nothing specific to announce."
Jay Rasulo, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts president, indicated in May that South Korea was a possible site of a Disney park, but that Disney was "not close to a decision."
-Edited by Marissa Chew
