KINTEX will operate the development for a fixed period. Photo Credit: Seoul Metropolitan Government
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has signed an implementation agreement with Seoul Smart MICE Park for the development of the Jamsil Sports and MICE Complex, paving the way for one of South Korea's largest integrated sports and business events developments.
Led by Hanwha Corporation's Engineering & Construction Division, the consortium will develop the privately financed project on a site of approximately 357,576sqm around the existing Jamsil Sports Complex.
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with completion targeted for 2032.
Local media reported that KINTEX will operate the Jamsil Exhibition and Convention Center for 40 years after the finalisation of the implementation agreement.
The KRW2.7 trillion (US$1.9 billion) project is expected to become Seoul's largest MICE facility, with an exhibition and convention complex approximately 2.5 times the size of COEX.
The development will comprise approximately 989,518sqm of gross floor area, including 89,000sqm of exhibition space and 19,000sqm of convention facilities. It will also feature a 30,000-seat domed baseball stadium – planned as Korea's largest – alongside an 11,000-seat sports complex, swimming pool, offices, retail and cultural facilities.
Accommodation will be integrated into the wider complex through three hotels totalling 841 rooms. These comprise a 288-room five-star hotel connected to the exhibition and convention centre, a 306-room four-star business hotel linked to the domed stadium, and a 247-room four-star residence hotel incorporated into the office facilities.
The combination of exhibition, convention, accommodation and major sporting infrastructure is central to Seoul's plans to establish Jamsil as one of the city's three major MICE hubs. The project is also designed as a mixed-use urban district, with public spaces and pedestrian connections linking the complex towards the Han River.
The project has been in development for almost two decades, having first been proposed under Seoul's Hangang Renaissance programme in 2007. Negotiations with Seoul Smart MICE Park took place over four years before the city reached an agreement with the consortium in March 2026.
The project subsequently cleared South Korea's Private Investment Project Review Committee in July, establishing the basis for the implementation agreement and subsequent approvals. The city continues to target a 2026 construction start and 2032 completion.