Hwaseong Takes Step Forward in Dome Stadium Bid with 'K-MARS Arena Vision Conference'

Hwaseong Special City (Mayor Jung Myung-geun) held the 'K-MARS Arena (Dome) Vision Conference' on the 11th at the multipurpose hall on the 3rd floor of the Dongtan LH Incubating Center under the theme 'A Dome Changes Hwaseong'.

At this event, jointly hosted by the Hwaseong City Research Institute, the direction of development and operational vision for a sports and performance complex dome stadium were discussed.

On this occasion, Mayor Jung Myung-geun of Hwaseong Special City stated, "The K-MARS Dome is a future strategic project that creates a new growth hub harmonizing sports, large-scale performances, and international events," and added, "By leveraging Hwaseong's growth potential and competitive geographical advantage, I will establish it as a sports and culture hub in southern Gyeonggi Province that expands citizens' cultural and leisure opportunities and adds vitality to the local economy."

Hwaseong Special City submitted a letter of intent to Gyeonggi Province on October 26 following the 'Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Call for Candidate Sites for Sports and Performance Complex Dome Stadium Construction Project' announced last October. The city plans to submit a project proposal by the 13th, reflecting the key matters discussed at this conference.

Lee Min-sang, Acting Director of the Hwaseong City Research Institute, who gave the keynote address on the theme 'A Dome Changes Hwaseong', explained the value of dome stadiums and Hwaseong's competitive geographical advantage. Introducing domestic and international dome stadium and arena management cases, Acting Director Lee emphasized that core content for continuous facility utilization, diverse revenue structures, and efficient operational systems must be prepared from the design phase.

Professor Cha Min-tae of Hanyang University, who conducted the subject presentation, presented 'Seven Key Directions for K-MARS Arena Development'. Mentioning increased demand for professional baseball viewing, game cancellations due to extreme heat and rain, and concentration of popular music performance demand in the Seoul metropolitan area, he explained the necessity for sports and performance facilities unaffected by weather conditions.

Yeom Min-gyoo, Research Fellow at the Hwaseong City Research Institute, who gave the second subject presentation, explained Hwaseong's accessibility and regional demand under the theme 'Basic Concept for Dome Stadium Construction in Hwaseong City'.

In the comprehensive discussion, Kim Sung-yeon, Director of Urban Environment Research at Hwaseong City Research Institute, served as moderator, with participation from Lee Jae-myung, Director of Haeuan Architecture, Professor Lee Jong-sung of Hanyang University's Sports Management Department, provincial assembly members, and citizen representatives to share opinions.

The discussion covered sustainable operational measures for the dome stadium, traffic and safety measures, and regional cooperation methods with adjacent cities as major agenda items.