Universal Studios Korea Delayed Again
Hwaesong, Gyenoggi, South Korea - Universal Parks & Resorts are located in Orlando, Florida; Hollywood, California; Singapore; Japan; and Spain. The company's first park was Universal Studios Orlando. The park features many blockbuster themed rides, such as Twister, Jaws, Terminator, and ET. It even boasts one major coaster, Hollywood: Rip Ride Rockit. In 1999, the second park of the resort opened: Universal's Islands of Adventure. Focusing more on thrills then theming, the park opened with two major coasters: The Incredible Hulk Coaster, the only B&M launch coaster in the world, and Dueling Dragons, a pair of B&M Inverted coasters that clash at many points during the ride. In 2010, the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened, thus changing the theme of Dueling Dragons to Harry Potter. It was renamed Dragon Challenge but retains the same layout as when it opened.
The Universal Korean resort has the same plan as the previous parks in the chain, except that the park is in danger of having the same fate as Disney America and WestCOT. Construction was planned to start January 2010, but the land has not yet been bought. It is possible that the park will collapse before construction starts, and the park will not be built. If the plan comes together, Universal Studios Korea will sit along with two other Asian Universal resorts in Japan and Singapore.
The Lotte Group is facing difficulties obtaining the land from Hwaseong, a city in the Gyenoggi Province in South Korea. Dates have been pushed back since the project was planned to start construction in 2011.
Planned to be constructed with the park are CityWalk (a staple of all Universal Resorts), a water park, a golf course, apartments, restaurants, and hotels. The project, potentially creating 40,000 jobs, along with extended road and rail infrastructure to support the resort, will make for a Disney World-sized property.