[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Local governments in Gyeonggi Province are actively working to establish new growth engines by attracting dedicated venues related to cultural and leisure industries such as gaming and Baduk (Go). In particular, some local governments are dreaming of a new leap forward by entering the competition to host the Korea Military Academy.
According to local governments in Gyeonggi Province on the 4th, Seongnam City will build a dedicated e-sports stadium on a 6,959㎡ site in Hwansang Children's Park within Pangyo 1 Techno Valley, Sampyeong-dong, Bundang-gu by 2022. The project cost totals 29.6 billion KRW, including 10 billion KRW from the provincial government, 15 billion KRW from the city, and 4.6 billion KRW from the private sector.
The e-sports stadium, with a total floor area of 8,500㎡ consisting of three above-ground floors and one basement floor, will feature a main stadium with 400 seats and a secondary stadium with 50 seats. It will also include player-exclusive spaces, a PC bang, studios, multipurpose spaces, a souvenir shop, and a counseling center for game addiction prevention. Outdoors, facilities will be installed to accommodate about 1,500 spectators simultaneously.
Following the construction of the dedicated stadium, Seongnam City plans to install a large media wall measuring 12 meters in height and 25 meters in length, along with outdoor seating outside the stadium by 2025.
In line with the establishment of the Gyeonggi e-sports dedicated stadium, Seongnam City will promote ▲ hosting e-sports tournaments ▲ operating international e-sports leagues ▲ activating professional gaming teams.
A Seongnam City official explained, "Once the dedicated e-sports stadium is built, it is expected that about 128,000 domestic and international gamers and fans will visit annually, spending approximately 3.45 billion KRW (26,800 KRW per person) on admission fees and souvenir purchases."
Seongnam City anticipates economic ripple effects from the stadium construction, including 61.96 billion KRW in induced production, 347 jobs created, 11.2 billion KRW in induced income, 22.7 billion KRW in increased added value, and 2.76 billion KRW in tax revenue.
Uijeongbu City will build the nation's first dedicated Baduk stadium on the site of the former KiMu military unit in Howon-dong. The Baduk stadium will be a four-story building above ground with one basement floor, covering a total area of 10,000㎡.
The project cost, excluding land acquisition, is about 30 billion KRW for construction. Uijeongbu City plans to finance the project through national and provincial government support. The stadium is scheduled for completion in 2023.
The interior of the stadium will include various game rooms, viewing rooms, classrooms, and exhibition halls. Media rooms for game broadcasting and reception rooms will also be installed. Once completed, the Korea Baduk Association, currently located in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, will relocate here.
Uijeongbu City plans to host the world's largest Baduk tournament, surpassing the Ing Cup, at this stadium once it is built.
Meanwhile, Dongducheon City recently entered the competition to attract the Korea Military Academy, which is being discussed for relocation in line with the government's housing supply expansion policy.
Dongducheon City recently announced plans to attract the Military Academy to Camp Howie, a U.S. military base area. Camp Howie was originally scheduled to relocate to Pyeongtaek in 2016 under the Land Partnership Plan (LPP), but the relocation was postponed as the Korean military decided to remain until it completes replacing the U.S. artillery brigade.
Dongducheon City has officially entered the competition, stating that bringing the Military Academy to Camp Howie will not only fulfill the promise of returning U.S. military base land but also achieve the effect of state-led development of returned base land, a pledge made by President Moon Jae-in.
Dongducheon City emphasizes that Camp Howie, with an area of 1.7 million㎡, is large enough to accommodate the Military Academy, and that relocation can be completed quickly without significant costs by utilizing existing U.S. military facilities.
Choi Yong-deok, mayor of Dongducheon City, said, "Relocating the Military Academy to Camp Howie will be the optimal choice not only to solve Seoul's housing problems but also to fulfill the government's promise to return base land. We will actively cooperate with Gyeonggi Province to ensure the Military Academy is successfully attracted."
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