CJ LiveCity, AEG to build new arena in Seoul

Article posted by Coliseum, June 14^th, 2019

Image: AEG / CJ LiveCity Seoul

Live music giant AEG and South Korean entertainment company CJ LiveCity are planning to collaborate on a new 20,000 capacity arena in Goyang City near Seoul, according to multiple media reports.

The Seoul Metropolitan Arena will be part of the in-development CJ LiveCity entertainment complex, which aims to attract K-pop fans domestically and internationally. Located between five of South Korea’s largest cities, it is in easy reach of two international airports and will be a stop on the country’s new express train route, expected to open in 2023, complemusicupdate.com reported.

Once open, the arena will put on shows by K-pop artists and also host AEG-promoted tours by international artists, the report stated.

The GTX highspeed express train (scheduled to open in 2023) will connect CJ LiveCity to Gangnam District in only 20 minutes; a 40-minute drive from Seoul’s Incheon International Airport; and a 20-minute drive from Gimpo International Airport.

“This collaboration combines CJ’s long-standing cultural business capabilities with AEG’s venue development and operations expertise and its global live touring and promotions capacities”, CJ LiveCity’s CEO Michael Kim was quoted as saying in the report.

“Seoul Metropolitan Arena, which will be designed by a leading architectural firm, is expected to be a competitive venue not only across Asia, but also globally due to performances of K-pop as well as world-renowned artists,” he remarked.

“Securing qualified content based on building a world-class facility is a key success factor for the arena in CJ LiveCity. In this context, the collaboration with AEG, which is one of the world’s leading venue operators and global live music companies, will be one of the most important factors for the arena’s success,” Kim added.

AEG Asia’s President and CEO Adam Wilkes felt that the combination of CJ LiveCity and the new Seoul Metropolitan Arena will revolutionise Korea and the region’s entertainment landscape.

“Both AEG and CJ share a vision of Korea as a world-leading entertainment destination”, he goes on, “and we are thrilled to work with such an innovative leader. CJ has an in-depth understanding of the Korean and Asian markets and unparalleled experience in entertainment. We believe that Seoul Metropolitan Arena will become a must play destination for world tours and look forward to breaking new ground together”.

The arena is still awaiting planning permission from local government.

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