The opening date of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment’s Paramount Theme Park, part of its Inspire Korea project in Incheon, could be delayed by a number of years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to local media reports.
Korean media outlet Kyeongin is claiming that Mohegan is reviewing both the timing and scale of its theme park attraction, set to form part of Inspire Korea’s Phase 2 development.
Work on the theme park was originally scheduled to start in late 2022 with an opening date of early 2025, however the entire project has now been pushed back with South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism recently approving a request from Mohegan for a six-month extension to the opening deadline of Inspire Korea Phase 1 until the first half of 2023.
According to Kyeongin, this has had a compound effect on subsequent phases including the Paramount Theme Park.
“All possibilities are open for review,” an unnamed Inspire Korea executive was quoted as saying.
In response to inquiries, Mohegan’s International President Bobby Soper told Inside Asian Gaming, “Currently there is no definitive schedule for construction and completion of the theme park component, but we continue to assess the optimal timing. In the light of the business environment and Asian Tourism demands in a post COVID world, Inspire is adjusting its development plans in such a manner as to maximize the business opportunities within the Korean market and obtain the required project financing.”
Inspire Korea’s Paramount Theme Park is currently planned to cover an area of 404,600-square-meters and offer 40 branded rides and attractions alongside various retail, dining and other entertainment options. Rides and attractions will feature storylines from some of Paramount Pictures’ biggest global hits such as “Mission Impossible” and “Star Trek” combined with distinctive elements of Korean culture, including a dedicated K-pop zone.
