Yongpyong Resort Acquires Two Japanese Golf Courses... "Strengthening Global Golf and Resort Chain"

Acquisition of Ainori Resort Development

Yongpyong Resort, a comprehensive leisure company, announced on the 25th that it has acquired Aino Resort Development, which operates Aino Country Club and Shimabara Country Club in Nagasaki Prefecture, western Kyushu, Japan.

A Yongpyong Resort official stated, "We acquired two golf courses in Japan to strengthen the competitiveness of our membership through the chain of overseas golf courses and resorts and to create synergy with the sales projects we are promoting as new projects. The Japanese golf market is showing a clear recovery from stagnation, and by developing various golf travel products, we aim to attract domestic golfers and increase revenue in the operations sector."

Established in 2006, Aino Resort Development operates two locations: Aino CC and Shimabara CC in Unzen City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. Aino CC, opened in 1989, is an 18-hole, par 72 course famous for its attractive layout surrounded by unique natural environments such as the nearby Ariake Sea. Shimabara CC, opened in 1959 and known as a prestigious golf course in the Kyushu region, is also an 18-hole, par 72 course. Players can enjoy rounds in an optimal environment overlooking Mount Unzen and the Ariake Sea.

Yongpyong Resort, which operates a total of 45 holes including Yongpyong CC and Birch Hill CC within Yongpyong Village in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, plans to strengthen marketing targeting local Japanese golfers and Korean golf travelers through this acquisition. The Japanese golf market recorded its lowest point in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, due to a long-term economic downturn since the 1990s. However, it has recently rebounded thanks to the global spread of golf popularity and the influx of younger players.

Shin Dalsun, CEO of Yongpyong Resort, said, "We plan to apply nearly 40 years of accumulated golf course management and operation know-how to the two newly acquired golf courses to create synergy in the overall resort operation business. We will develop Aino CC and Shimabara CC, which have the natural blessings of Mount Unzen and Ariake and various courses, into representative golf tourism courses in the Nagasaki area."