South Korea to build its first Polo Park
- Jan 23
- 2 min read
Constructing a private polo club is one thing: an isolated venture, driven by sheer entrepreneurial will. It is quite another when governmental authorities integrate polo into their administrative strategy as a tool for economic and social progress. That is when initiatives take on a new dimension. This is precisely what is happening in South Korea, in the city of Gyeongju, where a memorandum has been signed to develop the country's first large-scale polo park. This monumental project is set to generate significant economic and social impact in an area aiming to become the polo hub of Asia.
The North Gyeongsang Province, Gyeongju City, and developer Lubru have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the provincial government office to establish the Gyeongju Korea Polo Park Tourist Complex. Under the agreement, the provincial and municipal governments will support the necessary permits and approvals for the complex, while Lubru plans to invest a total of US$ 240 million by 2030. Lubru, a development subsidiary of the Seongho Group—a regional company with annual sales of approximately US$ 640 million—specialises in developing and operating resorts and tourist facilities.
Polo in South Korea has struggled to gain popularity due to its reputation as an 'aristocratic sport' and a lack of adequate facilities. There are virtually no professional players, and only one small club with limited membership operates on Jeju Island.
In this context, the province stated that alongside polo operations at the complex, the public will be able to directly experience and watch the sport. Through this, it plans to popularise polo, attract domestic and international tourists, and promote it as specialised, high value-added tourist content, including by hosting international polo tournaments.
The park will also feature other equestrian disciplines, but all will be oriented towards polo. Visitors will be able to watch matches, tour stables, enjoy recreational sporting experiences, and feel as though they are in a Disney World-style park dedicated to polo. The province expects the project to create around 300 new jobs.
North Gyeongsang Province and Gyeongju City aim to promote polo nationally and attract both local and international tourists through this large-scale polo park. They also plan to bid for international competitions and link the project with the Let's Run Park horse racing complex currently under construction nearby in Yeongcheon City. Experts suggest that if "Gyeongju and Yeongcheon share resources such as horse transport vehicles, feed distribution networks, management systems for retired horses, and veterinary hospitals, they could create the country's largest 'equestrian industry tourism belt'."
The polo park will be built on approximately 2.13 million square metres in Dogye, Seo-o and Cheonchon-ri, in the Seomyeon district of Gyeongju. This area is roughly 1.5 times the size of Seoul's Olympic Park. The complex will include internationally standard polo fields, an 18-hole public golf course, hotels, and leisure facilities such as a monorail, zip lines, and forest experience zones. Construction is scheduled to begin in April 2026, with a target completion date in 2030.
