Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort celebrated its grand opening on Tuesday with the completion of the first phase of a four-stage development project in South Korea.
According to the Korea Times, the indigenous-run American entertainment and gaming brand Mohegan saw dignitaries from Korea and the US take part in the opening ceremony at the resort on Yeongjong Island near Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul.
The project development began in 2016, with the property described as ‘set to become the largest integrated entertainment resort in Northeast Asia’.
The officials outlined their ambitious goal of transforming Yeongjong Island into a world-class tourism destination by 2046, rivaling Singapore or Macau.
The entertainment complex comprises three five-star hotel towers, a multipurpose performance venue, casino, restaurants, and business facilities, covering an area equivalent to 64 football fields.
“This endeavor has been a journey of shared visions and aspirations between the Mohegan tribe and the Republic of Korea,” remarked James Gessner Jr., the chairman of Mohegan Tribe, in his congratulatory speech. “Mohegan’s investment has already created nearly 3,000 jobs, and promises to create many more as we grow”
The mega resort, operated by Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment, is the eighth property developed by the company and its first venture in Asia. US Ambassador to Korea, Philip Goldberg, described the resort’s opening as “another key moment” in the alliance between Seoul and Washington.
The ambassador emphasized the significance of the investment, describing it as “another major milestone in the US-Korea investment relationship”
He highlighted the group’s KRW2 trillion ($1.6 billion) investment in the resort as one of the largest foreign direct investment ventures in Korea.
The grand opening of the mega resort also marked the launch of the largest foreigner-only casino site in Korea.
In January, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism granted Mohegan Inspire a license to operate a foreigner-only casino, the first of its kind issued to a foreign investor since 2005.
Culture Minister Yu In-chon hailed the opening of Inspire resort as a significant milestone in Korea’s culture and tourism industry. He encouraged the resort to become a magnet for inbound tourists and promote Korean culture worldwide.
The ceremony was attended by around 500 international and domestic guests, including members of the Mohegan Council of Elders, Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, Incheon International Airport Corp. President and CEO Lee Hag-jae, and American Chamber of Commerce in Korea Chairman James Kim.
