Mayor Lee: "A Valuable Reference for Advancing Major Projects such as K-Star World and Camp Colbern"

Lee Hyunjae, Mayor of Hanam, Visits Singapore
Benchmarks Successful Mixed-Use Development Cases
In-Depth Analysis of "Marina Bay Sands" Success Strategies

Lee Hyunjae, mayor of Hanam City, successfully benchmarked examples of mixed-use urban development during his visit to Singapore from September 15 to 18.

Hanam Mayor is taking a commemorative photo on the 18th during his visit to Singapore, with the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in the background. Provided by Hanam City

This visit to Singapore was undertaken based on the advice of Choi Changkyu, Vice President of the Korea Planning Association (Professor at Hanyang University), who noted that mixed-use development with the theme of work, live, and play is a global trend, and that Singapore is a leading model case. Accordingly, the benchmarking focused on successful examples of mixed-use development.

The main points of Mayor Lee's benchmarking activities are as follows.

First, through meetings with world-renowned scholars, he confirmed the direction for K-Star World.

Professor Lee Kwanok of the National University of Singapore, ranked eighth in the world, explained during an on-site meeting, "If there are only performance venues without residential facilities, there is a risk of urban hollowing out, which is why Singapore is also rapidly pursuing mixed-use development." He particularly advised, "Singapore's eco-friendly mixed-use development, achieved by securing ample green space, is similar to the situation of K-Star World, which has a green area ratio of 60%, and will serve as a valuable reference." Accordingly, Mayor Lee and his delegation visited key mixed-use development facilities such as large-scale performance venues, Marina Bay Sands Hotel, and shopping malls.

Lee Hyun Jae, mayor of Hanam City, has been visiting Singapore from the 15th to the 18th to study examples of mixed-use urban development. Provided by Hanam City

Second, they confirmed both the necessity of large-scale professional performance venues and their tremendous economic impact.

Singapore has several medium- and small-sized performance venues with fewer than 2,000 seats, such as the Esplanade, but to address the lack of a large-scale professional venue, it constructed a national stadium with a capacity of 55,000 seats. Additionally, the new hotel being built by Marina Bay Sands will include a large performance venue with about 20,000 seats. In fact, Singapore generated remarkable revenue in March 2024, with six concerts by renowned pop artist Taylor Swift attracting 300,000 attendees and ticket sales of 75.2 billion won. Concerts by Coldplay and Lady Gaga also resulted in approximately 55 billion won in sales and more than 100 billion won in tourism effects.

Third, they conducted an in-depth analysis of the success strategies of the landmark Marina Bay Sands.

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel, a symbol of Singapore, has contributed to raising Singapore's GDP by about 1% and increasing annual tourism revenue by 25 to 30% since its opening in 2010 (with a total of 2,561 rooms). An executive from the Sands Hotel explained, "Centered around a beautifully designed five-star hotel, the 57th-floor infinity pool and convention center have attracted large crowds," adding, "The high profits generated from revenue facilities such as the shopping center and casino have created a synergy effect by being reinvested in the expansion of new hotels and the construction of an additional 20,000-seat performance venue."

Lastly, they studied eco-friendly development cases that coexist with nature.

Hanam City has been visiting Singapore from the 15th to the 18th to study 'Mixed-Use Urban Development Cases.' Photo by Hanam City

They visited Sentosa Island to learn about Singapore’s tourism development strategies that make use of its natural environment. Sentosa Island is a renowned destination attracting more than 15 million tourists annually and is also well known as the location of the Capella Resort, which hosted the North Korea-United States summit.

Upon completing the benchmarking, Mayor Lee stated, "Although Singapore is a small city-state, it is a globally outstanding example of efficiently developing its land so that work, residential, and performance facilities are well distributed throughout the city. This experience will serve as a very important reference for advancing major projects in Hanam City, such as K-Star World, Gyosan New Town, and Camp Colbern."

Meanwhile, key executives and staff members leading Hanam City's major development projects, including Urban Development Headquarters Director Seo Kyungho and Economic and Cultural Affairs Bureau Director Lee Youngsoo, accompanied Mayor Lee on this benchmarking trip.