With new, uniquely Korean, gastronomical, cultural and spiritual attractions to complement its historical mainstays, Seoul is developing in all the right places
Newly installed president of the Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) Kim Byung-tae told EW that his goal is to turn Seoul into a destination that improves with repeat visits.
“Seoul is very safe and the transportation is very efficient. No matter what field you work in we want to have something catered to your sector. Instead of one catalogue for all events, we want to create a manual for each sector to appeal to their niche interests,” says Byung-tae.
The dedicated meeting and exhibition centres in Seoul include Coex, which features 36,000sqm of space including a hall for up to 7,000 visitors. The Dongdaenum Design Plaza, designed by Zaha Hadid, rivals this space, with a modernist 8,206sqm Academy Hall, which has been used by the likes of fashion house Chanel. Meanwhile, the Floating Islands (somesevit.com) provide bespoke exhibition options.
As the largest exhibition centre in Korea, KINTEX has 10 exhibition halls that span 108,55sqm and 40 meeting rooms that cover 13,303sqm. Since its opening in April 2005, KINTEX has undergone two of three scheduled expansions. September of 2011 marked the completion of the second expansion, adding 53,97sqm of exhibition space.
To make the destination even more hospitable, a spate of world class hotels have popped up, including the stunning 317-room Four Seasons hotel, which recently joined the likes of the InterContinental Seoul Coex, Samsung-owned The Shilla and Seoul Millennium Hilton and Plaza Hotel. Elsewhere, Lotte Hotels is increasing its luxury imprint on the city.
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