As the ‘Sphere’ in Las Vegas continues to be a focal point in pop culture of today, James Dolan and Madison Square Garden Entertainment are looking to take the venue international. The billionaire owner is currently in talks to expand to Abu Dhabi, while things continue to trend in the right direction for an additional project in South Korea.
MSG is trying to build a ‘Sphere’ that is specifically for K-Pop in Hanam, located just east of Seoul. The entertainment holding company has already signed a memorandum of understanding with the city. They received great news about its continued development on Monday.
According to the Korea JoongAng Daily, the Hanam city government has secured a commitment from the Land Ministry for active cooperation in the development of the venue. Land Minister Park Sang-woo spoke with Mayor Lee Hyun-jae. The latter emphasized to the former that 72% of the area around the proposed Sphere is designated as a “greenbelt,” which limits development and impacts GDP.
This is a big deal!
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in South Korea is focused on national territory policy. It is in charge of preservation and development related to water resources, construction, and land reclamation. The Land Minister Park could have shut down the project. Instead, he is in support.
We will actively support Hanam City if it takes the necessary steps to meet all the criteria for lifting development restrictions.
— Land Minister Park Sang-woo
Hanam hopes to begin construction in 2025. If all goes according to plan, the new Sphere will be part of ‘K-Star World,” which would include a film studio, theme park, and an industrial complex dedicated to Korean pop.
The Sphere would be part of those plans. At 393 feet tall and 524 meters wide, the new entertainment space would be the biggest yet. It is possible that the Sphere could host non-K-Pop concerts. But as part of K-Star World, K-Pop would be the focus.