[Digging Travel] Amazed by a Giant Humpback Whale Appearing from the Ceiling at the 'Korean Las Vegas'

⑫ Incheon 'Mohigan Inspire Entertainment Resort'
Korean Version of Las Vegas Created by Descendants of Native Americans
First Complex Resort in Korea with Arena
Strength in Digital Entertainment, Aiming to Attract 3.5 Million Visitors Annually

A resort has been established on a 461,661㎡ site on Yeongjongdo Island in Incheon, equivalent to the size of 64 soccer fields, after four years of construction. The Mohegan Inspire Resort, equipped with a casino, water park, hotel, arena, MICE facilities, and shopping mall, opened on November 30 last year and has been sequentially opening its facilities, aiming for a full opening in the first half of this year.

A view of the 'Rotunda Hall' inside the Mohican Inspire Entertainment Resort on Yeongjongdo, Jung-gu, Incheon.

Inspire, which opened its foreigner-only casino on the 3rd, is preparing for a grand opening in the first quarter. Last month, Inspire earned a 5-star hotel rating in the hotel grading evaluation managed by the Korea Tourism Association Central Council, marking the start of active customer attraction. Beyond the casino, Inspire positions itself as an 'entertainment resort.' Currently, Inspire Resort is emerging as the hottest travel destination, anchored by the arena, water park, and Aurora, an immersive entertainment content.

Passing through the main lobby, the 'Horizon Lounge,' and arriving at the 150-meter-long digital entertainment street 'Aurora,' a crowd gathered for filming simultaneously looked up and took out their cameras. The ceiling and corridor walls decorated with ultra-high-definition screens made of 22K high-resolution LEDs present the 'Under the Blue Land' media show every hour and half-hour, resembling an actual aquarium. When the highlight of the show, a humpback whale, appeared, the immersion was so intense that exclamations erupted from all around. Kim Kyunghan (43), who came from Seoul, said, "I saw the 'Aurora' video of the whale passing across the ceiling on SNS and wanted to see it in person, so I visited with my family."

After the show ends, videos themed around fantastic forests and seas are displayed. This content was co-produced by Hyundai Futurenet, which created the Arte Museum with the largest immersive content in Korea, and Inspire. A media art exhibition space is also scheduled to open in the first quarter. Passing Aurora, the Rotunda, a waiting area for the audience with a chandelier made of 156 LEDs, appears. The screens presenting seven themes are designed as a sign wall and photo zone during artist performances in the arena, making it a space with high audience satisfaction.

The 'Under the Blueland' show currently screening on the 150m-long digital entertainment street 'Aurora'.
Photo by Kim Heeyoon

The arena, which follows immediately, is the place of greatest interest to domestic visitors who cannot use the casino. Inspire Arena is Korea's first multipurpose indoor performance hall, equipped with state-of-the-art sound and stage facilities, and can accommodate up to 15,000 people. Sitting in the seats, I felt that the seat elevation was higher compared to other venues, allowing freedom from the influence of front-row viewers, and even sitting in the back rows, the center of the stage was clearly visible, which was a distinctive feature.

The ceiling also has a different structure from typical performance halls. Designed in a grid pattern that can withstand a load of 100 tons, various equipment including speakers can be installed at any of the 180 points. Compared to existing domestic gymnasium ceilings that can support a maximum equipment load of 40 tons, this is considered a revolutionary design that enhances performance convenience.

Another notable feature is the variable seating on the first floor, similar to a black box theater. When a T-shaped protruding stage used for general concerts is installed, 10,379 seats can be used. For a 360-degree concert with the stage at the center, the space can accommodate about 15,000 people. Depending on the size of the stage, about 4,000 seats on the first floor can be adjusted, making it advantageous for hosting various events such as concerts, e-sports, indoor sports, and MICE, emphasized an arena official.

Melon Music Awards held at Inspire Arena on December 2nd last year.
[Photo by Inspire]

Guests wearing gowns were frequently seen walking around various parts of the resort. This was a remarkable sight during the soft opening period, as guests staying in rooms were offered free use of the water park. The indoor water park with a glass dome shape, 'Splash Bay,' is currently partially open but has become a popular spot among mothers in the new town, with many family groups visiting on-site.

Additionally, the kids' indoor play facility that mothers anticipate is preparing to open in the second quarter. Starting this spring, the outdoor space 'Discovery Park' will also open. This area, overlooking the sea adjacent to the resort, aims to be an experiential entertainment park filled with content for all ages, including a maze, walking trails, forest paths, and a sunset bar.

Indoor water park with a glass dome shape, 'Splash Bay'.
[Photo by Inspire]

The hotel, which earned a '5-star hotel rating,' is also very popular. It operates three different buildings with concepts of forest, sea, and sun, each themed around casino, MICE, and relaxation, comprising a total of 1,275 rooms. The indoor hall, a MICE facility, is the largest in Korea, accommodating up to 4,000 people, and currently, reservations from foreign companies are continuing, according to the resort.

More than ten directly operated restaurants, including the world’s first 'Michael Jordan Steak House' opened outside the United States, are in operation, and a total of 18 food and beverage outlets are scheduled to open in the first quarter.

At the media day, Chen Xi, CEO of Mohegan Inspire, stated, "So far, about one-tenth of the total 4.36 million㎡ (1.32 million pyeong) site has been developed, and the entire project is scheduled to be completed in 2046 through four phases." The grand opening planned for the first quarter marks the completion of phase 1-A out of the four phases.

Image of the outdoor space 'Discovery Park' scheduled to be unveiled in the second quarter. [Photo by Inspire]

Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort, with a total project cost of 6 trillion won, is expected to become the largest integrated resort in Northeast Asia once construction is completed through phase 4, including the phase 2 theme park.

The market anticipates that Inspire will invigorate the related industry by expanding options for hotel leisure through its diverse facilities. However, accessibility and the sequentially opened facilities remain challenges to overcome. Kang (35), a guest met in the lobby, said, "Unlike Las Vegas, there are no permanent shows, so the LED and water park seem focused on family guests with children. Domestic visitors cannot use the casino, and public transportation requires going to the airport and then taking a shuttle bus, so it feels a bit disappointing to visit more than once."