Actor Lim Chaemoo Runs Duriland Amusement Park with 19 Billion Won Debt
Sold Two Apartments in the 1990s to Realize His Dream
Once Gave Employees Apartments and Offered Free Admission
Actor Lim Chaemoo recently shared that he is operating an amusement park while carrying a debt of 19 billion won. On July 15, the preview for KBS 2TV's "The Boss Has Donkey Ears" showed comedian Park Myungsoo visiting Duriland, the amusement park run by Lim Chaemoo. Park Myungsoo asked Lim Chaemoo, "How many years has Duriland been open?" Lim Chaemoo replied, "It opened in 1990," and added, "I am operating the amusement park on a private property of about 16,700 pyeong."
Lim Chaemoo revealed that he took out a loan of 19 billion won for the amusement park, but daily sales amount to only about 160,000 to 320,000 won. He said, "To pay taxes, I have to take on more debt," and confessed, "These days, I feel cornered."
In the past, Lim Chaemoo sold two apartments in Yeouido, Seoul to realize his dream of creating an amusement park for children, and established Duriland in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province. He personally secured the land in 1989 and opened the park in 1990, starting with a debt of 4 billion won at that time. However, due to expansion and operational difficulties, the debt reportedly grew to 19 billion won.
The operational difficulties at Duriland were due to the fact that no admission fee was charged. A week after opening, Lim Chaemoo saw a family of four unable to enter the park because they could not afford the 8,000 won admission fee, so he ordered the ticket booth to be removed.
There is also a famous story from the early days of operation that Lim Chaemoo bought apartments for all his employees. He previously shared, "This was during my peak in the 1980s," and added, "I promised to buy an apartment for anyone who worked for three years. I gifted 18-pyeong apartments to 26 employees, and the apartments were registered in their names. I heard that some employees still live in those apartments."
Duriland was temporarily closed in October 2017 due to environmental issues such as fine dust. Over the next three years, it underwent remodeling to include various facilities such as an indoor theme park, an educational training center, and a VR game zone, before reopening in April 2020. After reopening, the park began selling admission tickets. Lim Chaemoo explained his reason for continuing to operate Duriland by saying, "I am happier seeing children play than having money from selling this land."
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