‘SM Town’ will open in 2020

4 underground floors and 10 ground floors

Exhibitions, performance hall, and complex dining out space

Nurturing talented people in connection with K -POP

‘SM Town’ will open in 2020

A Pungmul band (Korean farmer’s band) is performing in the ground-breaking ceremony of Changwon SM Town.

The building of Changwon SM Town has finally started. It will be established in 4 underground floors and 10 ground floors in the area of Pallyong-dong, Uichang-gu.

The underground floors will consist of parking lots and retail shops using star marketing, ground floors 1 ~ 3 will have a studio to experience the Korean Wave culture and a facility that sells celebrity-related products, 4 ~ 5^th floors will have a hologram performance hall that can accommodate 800 seats, 6 ~ 7^th floors will have convenient facilities, and 8 ~ 10^th floors will have a hotel.

The hologram performance, the core content of Changwon SM Town, will allow people to enjoy famous K-POP performances like the actual performance with real-life sized holograms of artists and special effects. In the studio of Korean Wave culture experience, people can directly experience music recording, makeup, filming, and other cultures of K-POP stars. The retail shops using star marketing display and sell goods related to famous celebrities, and the convention facilities are used as a complex dining out space and exhibition/ performance hall of SM brand. Adopting a virtual reality technique, the hotel will be themed for people to feel and experience as if they are in the same space as the stars.

Through the talented person nurturing program in connection with the K –POP festival, Changwon SM Town will encourage regional youths to chase their dream of becoming a star and plans to adopt high-level culture experience items through convergence with 4^th industry technology such as robots, AI (artificial intelligence), VR (Virtual reality), etc.

Changwon SM Town is an emphasis business carried out to generate new tourism demands based on K-POP. Therefore, if this business becomes successful, it will create a nonstop stay-type tourism line that will enable people to watch performances, experience Korean Wave culture, food and shopping, and accommodations in one place.

It is expected that Changwon will make a great leap to becoming a mecca of Korean Wave that captivates the hearts of people from all over the world by integrating the world’s top class K -POP performance culture and advanced ICT technology, as well as perform roles as a great healing space for citizens. There will also be huge economic effects. When Changwon SM Town opens in 2020, it is expected to generate an economic effect of 560 billion Korean won, create jobs for 34000 people, and attract more than 300,000 tourists a year to Changwon.

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Established a ‘Brother Relationship’ with a Provincial Government of Cambodia

 

Friendly city cooperation with Preah Sihanouk Province.

Exchange and cooperation on economy, tourism, and physical education.

Delegates are taking a commemorative photo after signing the friendly international cooperation city agreement

Delegates are taking a commemorative photo after signing the friendly international cooperation city agreement

The city has entered a ‘brother relationship’ with Preah Sihanouk Provincein Cambodia. Mayor An Sang-soo has recently entered a friendly international cooperation city agreement with Governor Yun min of Sihanoukin Pullman Hotel in Changwon.

Preah Sihanouk Province is one of the 24 provincial governments of Cambodia. It is a metropolitan local government newly drawing attention as a strategic hub of the business and tourism industry of Cambodia. Based on the customs of international society where metropolises and primary local governments enter a friendly cooperation city agreement only with the same level, this agreement between Sihanouk, one of the provincial governments in Cambodia, and Changwon, a primary local government in South Korea, can be said to be unprecedented. This clearly shows the higher status of Changwon at a metropolitan level after the integration of 3 cities.

From now on, the two cities will start from economy and marine tourism fields and expand their exchange andcooperation into various areas such as culture, art, youths, physical education, etc.

Changwon has been deeply interested in having a friendly exchange with a Southeast Asian nation that is recently drawing attention as an emerging market based on its high economic growth rate. Then, the Minister of Culture and Art of Cambodia, the principal guest nation of MAMF last year, proposed having a friendly exchange with Changwon when he visited the city. This agreement was finally achieved when the delegates of Changwon who were invited to Sihanouk in December last year suggested Governor Yun min to visit Changwon, during the delegates’ visit to the provincial government building.

That Sihanouk has many things in common with Changwon also played a huge role in entering the agreement. Known as the best vacation site of Cambodia, Sihanouk is a coastal area with a 175km-long seashore. It has the nation’s only marine port facility, and is designated as one of Cambodia’s top 3 economic development zones. Also, based on rich marine resources, it is rapidly emerging as a strategic tourism and economic centers of Cambodia lately.

Twice as Great as Before,Rose Park

May is the season of rose. There is a flower-specialized rose park in Gaeumjeong-dong, Changwon. Every year, many citizens are making precious memories here. The rose park has almost doubled this year. 21,840 rose trees were planted, and 11 rose tunnels and 43 rose pagodas were built. ‘Finding a Goblin,’ the main program during the spring travel week, was held from 12th to 13th. The rose park had its opening ceremony on the 12th and will be open until October this year.

Looking at the Marine Kingdom from 1,500 years ago

[Special] ‘Gusan-myeon, the Mecca of Marine Tour’

Marine drama filming site is crowded after its repair
Attractions such as iron production site and dock from the Gaya period

 

Gaya Hall

Gimhae Hall

Gimhae Hall

Horse stable

Iron production site

Movie filming poster

Well in front of Saemijeong

Entrance of marine drama filming site

Entrance of marine drama filming site

Entrance of marine drama filming site

Wave sound path

Wave sound path

drama filming site

Sea & Wood Scent World

Changwon marine drama filming site was created in April 2010 by investing a project cost of 4 billion KRW on the area of 947m2, in Seokgok-ri, Gusan-myeon, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon, in order to promote and educate drama shooting and marine history. At the entrance of the filming site, 16 movie and drama posters filmed in this site from 2010 until now are displayed to greet tourists.

The filming site consists of a total of 25 buildings in 6 zones. It is equipped with the iron production site, dock, marketplace, sailboat, weapons, living supplies, and various items from Gaya period.

It is necessary to take a pamphlet from the tour information center at the filming site entrance. It is much more helpful to know about the buildings and zones by looking around different parts of the filming site while reading the explanations of pamphlet in the hand. Having no guide sign is not very helpful for drama filming that sometimes occurs.

Gimhae Hall can be said to be the main part of the filming site. As the main filming place of drama Kim Su-ro, it displays the bedrooms of Kim Su-ro, Queen Heo, meeting rooms, and all kinds of props. There is a photo zone at the entrance of the building to take a picture like Kim Su-ro and Queen Heo by putting one’s face.

A dock to bring a ship for maritime trade is located toward the sea from Gimhae Hall. There is a ship hanging around in place according to the wind direction at the front sea of the dock, and a ship that seems to have been used for drama filming is anchored at the mud flat.

If you go across the bridge at the 2nd floor of Gimhae Hall or go toward the left of the filming site, you will reach the Haebanchon area. It has reproduced the life of ordinary people by having a shoe store, blacksmith workshop, earthenware store, etc.

The marketplace has recreated a market from Gaya period. It has a store selling animal skin, farming tools, clothes, as well as an inn selling raw rice wine (makgeoli), and also displays fruit-shaped props.
In addition, there is also Gaya Hall that was used as an inn, joint water Saemigyo, horse stable, and aniron production site that smelted collected iron ore. The filming site that recreated the buildings of Gaya period was established in 2010 and went through several repairs.

Another fun element to visit this place is a well-maintained walk trail. There is a wave sound path, a marine forest path to start from the marine drama filming site and return to the original place. Its total length is 1.7km long and it was created in August 2016. Nature’s present magnificent marine view and thick, dense pine groves stand in harmony. There is also an observatory tower and every person of both genders and all ages can walk comfortably. ‘Sea & Wood Scent World’ nearby is a good place to enjoy walking, as it is a fragrant place throughout all 4 seasons by planting 700 herbs and landscape woody plants.

Foreign tourists’ Downtown Sightseeing onPublic Bike.

Business agreement with 3 tourist hotels.

Will have test operation from June this year.

 

Agreement to support the use of crisscross bikes with 3 tourist hotels

Foreigner tourists riding crisscross bikes.

 

‘Crisscross bikes’ have become easily available for foreign tourists staying in tourist hotels. It is expected that they will not only provide travel conveniences for foreign tourists but also instill new energy into city sightseeing.

The cityhas recently signed an agreement to support crisscross bike use with 3 tourist hotels. In the current crisscross bike operating system, only local Koreans and domestic foreigners registered in Korea could use the bikes, but this agreement has solved the difficulties of crisscross bike use faced by foreigners visiting Korea on short-term. With a separate signup procedure for crisscross bike use, it will be planned for them to use the bikes easily with a crisscross bike use card of a tourist hotel’s name. Foreigner crisscross bike service will start from this upcoming June. Once the city’s foreigner crisscross bike serviceis activated, the service provision will be expanded to the entire tourist hotels and accommodations throughout Changwon.

The tourist hotels participating in this agreement include Pullman Ambassador Changwon, Hotel International, and Changwon Hotel Co., Ltd. The 3 tourist hotels are where many foreigners visiting Changwon usually stay. Since the introduction of ‘Crisscross Bikes,’ the first public bike system in Korea, in October 2008, the city has run 270 terminals and 3982 crisscross bikes which are the largest size in Korea. 14,320 people on average ride crisscross bikes a day.

A city official has said that “Foreigner tourists prefer riding on a bike to a car when visiting the main tourist attractions of the city. With this, there has been an increasing number of inquiries on the use of crisscross bikes and thus we have arranged a plan for crisscross bike use for foreign tourists.”

 

Here is a brief introduction of the 3 tourist hotels.
■Pullman Ambassador Changwon

Pullman Ambassador Changwon

Has a total of 321 rooms including 13 suites designed by famous Korean and overseas designers, providing comfort, vast space, and modern and refined specialness in harmony with tradition. It also has a variety of drink and food businesses, small/medium/large ballroom facilities accommodating a total of 1,200 people, and ‘Club City 7,’ the area’s first 2,000-pyeong high-class membership fitness center.

Pullman Ambassador Changwon provides a customer-focused service for you to experience work efficiency and entertainment, as it is connected with Changwon Convention & Trade Center, CGV that has 8 movie halls, the City 7 complex shopping, etc.

■Hotel International

Hotel International

Consisting of 4 underground floors, 9 ground flowers, and a parking facility for 400 cars to park at the same time, it is also evenly equipped with all kinds of facilities such as Gyeongnam’s largest convention hall, 7 small banquet rooms, all kinds of restaurants and wedding halls, as well as additional amenities to relieve a day’s fatigue and for tomorrow’s vitality in sauna.

As soon as you enter the lobby, you can feel the sense of Hotel International hidden in the Korean traditional beauty. An advanced service by staff members with rich experiences at the lobby front, which is full of dignity as an international hotel, is also noteworthy.

■Changwon Hotel Co., Ltd.

Changwon Hotel Co., Ltd.

There are 173 rooms to enjoy business and rest together. This hotel has various room systems such as ultrahigh speed wired/wireless internet, digital TV, hinoki bathtub and shower booth that suits customer tastes, and safe-deposit box inside a room. Differentiated, customized hotel services are also provided through sauna, fitness room, and a free laundry service.

In addition, the hotel has a large seminar room that can accommodate up to 500 people to have a reception, large-scale event, or wedding, and is fully equipped with refined and modern indoor decorations and lighting, modernistic sound facilities, convenient traffic network and large parking facilities, and high-tech communication.

‘Cherry Blossoms Feast’ to Captivate 3 million Tourists

Multimedia Fireworks Show on April 1st 

Yi Sun-sin Victory March on April 7th

Martial Music Festival on April 7~9th 

Fringe Performance in Yeojwacheon and Gyeonghwa Station

Jinhae Gunhang Festival will be held in the entire area of Jinhae district such as Jungian Rotary for 10 days from April 1st. Jinhae is Korea’s largest port city as well as the world’s largest city of cherry blossoms. This year’s festival theme is ‘flower-light-hope.’ The city is preparing the festival to attract 3 million tourists, which is 300,000 more from 2.7 million tourist last year.

Special events include the eve festival and opening ceremony on March 31st, followed by a commemorative event, victory march, Yeojwacheon starlight festival, multimedia fireworks show, art/performance/experience event, and the opening of military camp, etc. For main events, Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s Victory March will held on the specially-prepared stage of Jungwon Rotary from 2:30pm to 5:00pm on April 7th, and a patriotic parade performance in which 580 people of 11 military bands and honor guard teams participate will be held from 1pm on April 8th and 9th. Also, a great commemorative ceremony will be carried out from 1pm on April 8th.

Jinhae-ru Marine Multimedia Fireworks Show, one of the highlights of nighttime events in Jinhae Gunhang Festival, will be held in the sea in front of Jinhae-ru at 8pm on April 1st. Especially famous for a fantastic night view, Yeojwacheon Starlight Festival will be held on the Romance Bridge from March 31st to April 10th. It is chosen as couples’ typical dating course. A fringe performance will also run at Yeojwacheon and Gyeonghwa Station this year to hold various cultural art activities such as busking.

The Naval Academy and the Naval Headquarters of Jinhae base are must-sees during the Jinhae Gunhang Festival, because are difficult to enter at usual times but will be open to the public. You can participate in various experience events such as the Naval Academy Museum and the Turtle Ship view. Along with the aspects of the naval base, you can also enjoy the colorful, fancy cherry blossoms of Flowering Cherry that is over 100 years old.

Highlighting the characteristics of port city, Jinhae Martial Music Festival will be held for 3 days from April 7th to 9th in Jinhae Public Stadium, etc. This year’s slogan is an ‘echo of naval port and the melody of future,’ and 600 people from the army, navy, air force, marine corps military band, and the honor guard will participate in it.

Flower rain that falls altogether after the full bloom is also romantic. The large Flowering Cherry trees that bloom along 1.5km of flowery stream in Yeojwacheon and 800m-long flowery railroad of Gyeonghwa Station are the peak of cherry blossoms throughout the year and is the best place to greet flower rain. The Ahnmin Hill of Simni Cherry Blossoms Walkway is perfect for a driving course. You can also enjoy a picturesque scene of fairy-tale if you see the snowy white panoramic view at Jinhae Top on Jehwangsan Mountain Park.

Cherry Blossoms and Fireworks

 

Multimedia Marine Firework Show of Jinhae Gunhang Festival Last Year

 

Jinhae Gunhang Festival: April 1st ~ 10th

Jinhae Gunhang Festival, Korea’s largest cherry blossoms festival, will be held from April 1st to 10th this year. Last year, 2.7 million tourists from Korea and abroad were impressed by the beautiful feast of cherry blossoms. 217,000 foreign tourists came, an increase by 6 times from 2015. As years go by, Jinhae Gunhang Festival is growing as a global festival. The city is arranging different kinds of responses to resolve the inconveniences of tourists.