A KRW 680 billion international resort tourism destination to be built at Hwajinpo in Goseong County, Gangwon Province

【Financial News, Goseong—Kim Ki-seop】Hoban Group will invest KRW 680 billion to develop an international resort tourism destination in the Hwajinpo area of Goseong County, attracting more than 700,000 visitors annually.
Gangwon State Government said on the 28th that it and Goseong County had signed an investment agreement with Hoban Group and Hoban Hotel & Resort that day to develop the Goseong Hwajinpo International Resort Tourism Destination. About 10 officials attended the ceremony, including Gangwon State Governor Woo Sang-ho, Goseong County Governor Ham Myeong-jun, Hoban Group Chairman Kim Seon-gyu, and Hoban Hotel & Resort CEO Lee Jeong-ho.
Under the agreement, Hoban Hotel & Resort will build accommodation facilities and various ancillary amenities by 2035 on a 51,516-square-meter site in Chodo-ri, Hyeonnae-myeon, Goseong County. The project will include 450 condominium units, 158 dormitory rooms, retail space, and leisure and cultural facilities.
Despite its outstanding natural environment, the northern part of the East Sea coast has been considered to have a weak foundation for stay-based tourism because of a shortage of suitable accommodations. Gangwon State Government expects the investment to attract more than 700,000 visitors annually and create approximately 6,500 direct and indirect jobs, marking a major turning point in balanced regional development and the establishment of a foundation for a high-value-added tourism industry. Alongside the recently agreed-upon Goseong Haesolia Tourist Complex, it also plans to intensively develop an all-season tourism destination offering accommodation, culture, leisure, and recreation.
Goseong County also has high expectations for the project. The county has tourism resources including the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Goseong Unification Observatory, and Hwajinpo Lake. Tourist access is expected to improve significantly once broader transportation networks, including the Donghae Bukbu Line, the Chuncheon–Sokcho Line, and an extension of the Donghae Expressway, are established. The agreement is also meaningful because it gives concrete form to cooperation with major companies and large-scale private investment in the Goseong Peace Economy Special Zone. The parties agreed to join forces for the zone's successful development and to promote the use of locally produced goods.
Governor Woo Sang-ho said, "Once a 450-room resort facility is built in the northern part of the East Sea coast, where visitors have been passing through because of a shortage of places to stay, it will become a tourism hub where people can enjoy the sea, lake, and forest all at once while spending time here." He added, "I ask Hoban to draw on the experience it has accumulated in operating resorts and develop this site into one of the country's leading resort destinations." Woo also emphasized, "Together with the Haesolia Tourist Complex, we will focus on developing a tourism destination where visitors can stay and enjoy themselves throughout all four seasons, and do our part to make Gangwon's East Sea coast a destination visited by people from around the world."
A Goseong County official said, "With the DMZ, Goseong Unification Observatory, and Hwajinpo Lake, along with a large resort facility, Goseong will be transformed into a city where tourists stay and open their wallets." The official added, "We will provide full administrative support and cooperate closely with relevant agencies so that the project is completed on schedule as transportation networks such as the Donghae Bukbu Line are established."

[email protected] Kim Ki-seop Reporter