"Japan Is on the Tour, but Korea Is Left Out"...The Fierce Competition for High-Revenue Multipurpose Dome Hosting

Government Aims to Build Two Large Domes for Concerts and Sports
Popular Music Sales Reach 452.7 Billion Won; 55% from Venues Over 10,000 Seats
Cheonan, Asan, Cheongju, and Gwangmyeong Join the Bid
Selection to Consider Performance Demand,

BTS held "World Tour Arirang in London" at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, UK, on the 6th and 7th (local time), meeting with approximately 130,000 spectators. Provided by BigHit Music

A “money war” has begun among local governments over the hosting rights for a 50,000-seat domed stadium. As the government advances plans to build large-scale multiplex domes capable of generating annual revenues worth hundreds of billions of won, regions such as Busan, Cheonan and Asan in South Chungcheong Province, Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province, and Gwangmyeong in Gyeonggi Province have jumped into fierce competition. With astronomical construction costs involved, actual performance demand, transport infrastructure, business feasibility, and operational capabilities are expected to be the key variables in the site selection process.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation on August 18, the government is considering the construction of two multipurpose domes to host mega-scale K-pop concerts and sports events. In March, authorities commissioned a “Basic Plan and Preliminary Feasibility Study for the Construction of Multipurpose Domed Stadiums for Sports and Performances.” They have also begun establishing application guidelines.

The commissioned study budget is 650 million won, and the investigation will continue until June 15 next year. The target for completion is 2034. The government is reviewing plans to establish one large-sized dome accommodating more than 50,000 people and one mid-sized dome.

Lee Sunyoung, Director of the Sports Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated during a policy briefing on July 4 for the second half of the year, “We are conducting the research based on the premise of planning to establish around two large multiplex domes that can support both sports and performances.”

The government’s move is driven by a shortage of large indoor venues. The request for proposal for the study indicated the lack of indoor facilities in Korea that can simultaneously accommodate tens of thousands of spectators and massive concert equipment, which has exacerbated the “Korea passing” phenomenon in global tours. It cited examples such as Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran excluding Korea from their 2024 Asia tours.

The Seoul World Cup Stadium and Jamsil Olympic Main Stadium are open-air venues. Even the indoor venues—Gocheok Sky Dome and KSPO Dome—are limited to 16,000 and 15,000 seats respectively, restricting the ability to host mega-sized concerts, according to the government’s assessment.

Major concerts this year by BTS, Park Hyoshin, and Seventeen were also held in outdoor venues such as Goyang Sports Complex, Busan Asiad Main Stadium, and Incheon Munhak Stadium·Incheon Asiad Main Stadium. NCT Dream, Super Junior, and ENHYPEN used the KSPO Dome, while Lim Youngwoong performed at Gocheok Sky Dome. Outdoor stadiums are vulnerable to rain, heatwaves, and cold snaps, and considerations such as football schedules and turf protection pose further restrictions on hosting concerts.

The pop music concert market continues to scale up. According to data from KOPIS, the performance arts information system of the Center for Arts Management Support, there were 2,212 pop music shows held 3,814 times in the first half of this year. Around 3.39 million tickets were sold, with sales reaching 452,653,990,000 won, up 9.6% year-on-year. Pop music accounted for 55.9% of total ticket sales in the performance market.

Particularly, ticket sales for pop concerts at venues with over 10,000 seats amounted to around 249.8 billion won. Large venues were responsible for 55.2% of all pop concert sales. This highlights why multiplex domes, beyond functioning as simple venues, are emerging as core cultural industry infrastructure capable of generating enormous added value.

As expectations for significant economic ripple effects grow, the competition among local governments to attract the facility is heating up. Busan recently formalized its intent. On August 10, Busan Mayor Jeon Jaesoo requested government support for the construction of a “Multipurpose Dome Arena” from Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwiyeong during the minister’s visit to Busan.

The Northern Port Dome Stadium, which Mayor Jeon proposed during the election, is envisioned to seat 40,000. It would serve as the home stadium for Lotte Giants during baseball season and as a venue for concerts and exhibitions during the off-season. The Busan mayoral transition committee estimates the total project cost—combining land acquisition costs of 600 to 700 billion won and other multiplex development expenses—will exceed 3 trillion won.

South Chungcheong Province is pursuing a plan to build a multipurpose dome with more than 50,000 seats near Cheonan-Asan KTX Station, with a projected project cost of about 1 trillion won for use in both sports and K-pop concerts. North Chungcheong Province has abandoned its earlier Osong Dome plan and, on August 2, announced plans to construct a 50,000-seat multipurpose arena in Cheongju. The envisioned facility would host not only sports and K-pop concerts but also esports events, expositions, and international conferences. Details on the site and specific plans will be released in September. Gwangmyeong City is conducting a study for a basic development plan to attract a dome-shaped “K-Arena” accommodating up to 50,000 people in the city’s Gwangmyeong-Siheung 3rd new town development zone.

The critical point is whether the facility can be optimized for concerts. Adding a roof over 50,000 seats does not make a true mega-concert venue. A ceiling structure capable of suspending heavy lighting and audio equipment is required, as are rigging facilities. Seating configurations should be adaptable to event types, and large stages, backstage spaces, and truck access routes for equipment must be secured. The government’s consulting study also covers the evaluation of concert infrastructure, flexible and retractable seating, transportation circulation, supporting architecture and infrastructure, technological suitability, and design appropriateness.

Kim Youngsoo, First Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated recently that to attract “top-tier” artists, venues with over 50,000, 30,000, and 10,000 seats are all needed. The ministry plans to incorporate elements necessary for performances—including audience and equipment flow and acoustics— from the design and construction stage of the multiplex domes.

An official from Amuse, a leading Japanese entertainment company, commented, “If a large dome is built in Korea, it could form a new Asia tour route connecting domes in Japan and Korea and large stadiums in Greater China and Southeast Asia.”

There have also been cautions against prioritizing regional balance in selecting locations. When a large-scale concert is held, tens of thousands of people move simultaneously. Considerations must include not only the construction of the venue, but also metropolitan railways, road networks, transportation options to disperse the crowd after performances, and accommodation facilities. Airport accessibility is a crucial factor in attracting overseas audiences. Financing and post-completion operation strategies must also be addressed. It would be unrealistic to fill a 50,000-seat dome solely with concerts year-round. An operational model that raises the utilization rate through a mix of sports and performances, while guaranteeing adequate preparation times and secure booking schedules for major concerts, is needed.

Lee Sungmin, Professor of Media and Visual Communication at Korea National Open University, emphasized, “A 50,000-seat dome is not simply a local landmark, but a nationwide cultural industry project.” He continued, “We must carefully assess concert demand, large-scale transportation infrastructure, funding capacity, and post-completion operational capabilities to select the site with the greatest potential to enhance the competitiveness of the K-pop industry.” He also added, “Even if both sports and performances are hosted, it is important to fully reflect concert functionality from the design phase.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.