By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Alexandra Taseva
Video = Arirang TV
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| Korean culture mall Show DC opens in Bangkok, Thailand. (Show DC) |
The Korean Wave or Hallyu is spreading every year to many corners of the world through music and dance contests to Korean cultural centers in cities across Asia, Europe and the Americas. One Hallyu hotspot is Bangkok, Thailand, where Show DC, a Korean-themed shopping mall and entertainment complex, was opened on April 10. The Thai company that spent USD 275 million on this project is banking on growing interest in Korean pop culture in Thailand and Southeast Asia.
Chayaditt Hutanuwatra, chairman of the mall's builder SHOW D.C. Corp. Ltd., said, "A lot of people around the world are Korea lovers, which is interesting to me. So we've made the entire ground floor into a 'K-district' that houses a lot of Korean eateries and stores for cosmetics and street fashion. Those who are fans of Korea can come over and enjoy the atmosphere."
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| A generic view of Show DC Korean-theme mall is seen before an opening ceremony. (Reuters) |
Covering 180,000 square meters, Show DC targets both Thai and foreign fans of Korean pop culture. The aim is to attract 10 million visitors a year in becoming a major attraction in what was the world's most visited city last year.
Chayaditt said, "With every stone, piece of gravel and tree used to build this place all these years, we aim to make Show DC the country's masterpiece."
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| The front of the Show DC Korean-themed mall is decorated with photos of Korean actors. (Reuters) |
The mall has stores selling Korean clothing and cosmetics brands endorsed by K-pop artists and restaurants offering Korean cuisine, along with statues and palm prints of Korean stars. Plans are also in the works to bring Korean performers to the mall's concert hall. Despite the complex offering a wide range of Korean products and ambience, a Thai visitor said she still wants to visit Korea.
"We might not need to travel to Korea anymore if everything Korean is here. But by going to Korea, I'll get to experience first-hand their culture and tourist attractions rather than just walking in a shopping mall," said Thanaporn Somdee.
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| Fireworks explode over the Show DC Korean-theme mall in an opening ceremony. (Reuters) |
Around a third of the estimated 34 million tourists forecast to visit Thailand this year will hail from China, where interest in Hallyu is huge.
Click here to watch a news clip about the entertainment complex.
wisdom117@korea.kr
