Goyang Special City submitted a shared property management plan to the city council for the third time this year to sell the S2 Hotel site within the KINTEX support site, but it was rejected again. As the issue of a lack of accommodations around KINTEX continues to be raised, the city plans to form a consensus through cooperation with the council.
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[Korean Today] Goyang City Kintex Hotel Site Sale Plan Rejected for the Third Time in City Council © Reporter Seung-ju Ji |
The shared property management plan for the sale of the S2 Hotel site (Daehwa-dong 2600-7, approx. 11,773㎡) within the KINTEX support site, submitted by Goyang Special City (Mayor Lee Dong-hwan) for the third time this year, was rejected by the city council. The shared property management plan is a plan regarding the acquisition and disposal of shared property, and the head of the local government must obtain approval from the local council.
In this review, rather than examining the appropriateness of the sale, many issues that the actual business operator must resolve, such as hotel business analysis and hotel occupancy rate, were raised. The site in question has been promoted several times since it was designated as a hotel site in 2007, but has not been sold or developed.
City officials emphasized, “The lack of accommodation infrastructure around KINTEX has been a persistent issue since KINTEX opened in 2005,” and “In order to maximize the effects of the exhibition complex industry (MICE) centered around KINTEX, the largest exhibition center in Korea, it is urgent to expand accommodation facilities.” He continued, “For the benefit of the local community and citizens, we need to quickly develop the hotel site, and for this, I ask for the cooperation of the council.”
KINTEX attracted about 5.8 million visitors last year, and the number is expected to increase to over 10 million when the third exhibition center is completed in 2027. However, the current accommodations around KINTEX are only 1,248 rooms in Sono Calm Hotel and Kateree Hotel, which is not enough to accommodate a large number of visitors.
In particular, the lack of accommodations in Goyang City has become even more prominent due to the large-scale performances held at Goyang Sports Complex recently. According to a feasibility study conducted by the city, an additional 3,139 accommodations will be needed by 2031 after the construction of the 3rd exhibition hall. When hosting international conferences, securing 2,000 to 3,000 hotel rooms is required, and accommodation infrastructure is a factor that accounts for a large proportion in the evaluation of MICE events.
Goyang City expects that if this hotel site sale is successful, a global hotel with 625 rooms will be built. Regarding this, a city official said, “This sale plan is an important starting point for the development of the local economy and the MICE industry,” and “We will continue to improve the plan while meeting administrative requirements.”
The city will closely review the questions raised by the council in this rejection and will build consensus through sufficient explanation and persuasion. It also plans to actively promote the appropriateness of the sale and its positive effects on the local economy.
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