Mohegan Tribe Chairman James Gessner Jr., front row third from right, and other dignitaries cut ribbons during the grand opening ceremony of Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort in Incheon, Tuesday. They are, from front row second from left, Mohegan Tribal Council of Elders Chairman Charlie Strickland, Incheon International Airport Corp. President and CEO Lee Hag-jae, U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg, Gessner, Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, and Mohegan Tribe Chief Lynn Malerba. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
INCHEON — Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort, set to become the largest integrated entertainment resort in Northeast Asia, celebrated a grand opening, Tuesday, with the completion of the first phase of a four-stage development project in Korea.
Dignitaries from Korea and the U.S., including officials from the indigenous-run American entertainment and gaming brand Mohegan, participated in the opening ceremony at the resort on Yeongjong Island near Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul.
They commemorated the grand opening, marking a significant milestone in the project's journey that commenced in 2016. They also outlined their ambitious goal of developing Yeongjong Island into a world-class tourism destination by 2046 that rivals Singapore or Macao with the entertainment complex consisting of three five-star hotel towers, multipurpose performance venue, casino, restaurants and business facilities spanning an area equivalent to 64 football fields.
“This endeavor has been a journey of shared visions and aspirations between the Mohegan tribe and the Republic of Korea,” James Gessner Jr., the chairman of Mohegan Tribe, said in his congratulatory speech.
James Gessner Jr., the chairman of the Mohegan Tribe, delivers a congratulatory address during Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort's grand opening in Incheon, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
“Mohegan's investment has already created nearly 3,000 jobs, and promises to create many more as we grow,” the chairman said.
The mega resort is the eighth property developed and operated by Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment, an integrated entertainment resort developer with a Native American background that runs seven properties in North America.
U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg said the resort's opening signifies “another key moment” in the alliance between Seoul and Washington.
“Today we celebrate another major milestone in the U.S.-Korea investment relationship … This relationship between the United States and Korea, which started as a military alliance, has evolved into a global comprehensive strategic partnership,” the ambassador said, underscoring that the group's 2 trillion won ($1.6 billion) investment in the resort is one of the largest foreign direct investment ventures in Korea.
Notably, the mega resort's grand opening marked the launch of the largest foreigner-only casino site in Korea.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism granted Mohegan Inspire a license to operate a foreigner-only casino in January. It was the first time since 2005 that the Korean government granted such permission and it was also the first license of its kind issued to a foreign investor.
“We expect the opening of Inspire resort to go beyond the mere addition of a casino business site in the country. Instead, it is expected to represent a significant milestone in Korea's culture and tourism industry,” Culture Minister Yu In-chon said in his congratulatory message.
“Through the exchange of goodwill and healthy competition, I encourage you (members of the resort) to pave the way toward a healthy, flourishing casino industry,” he said, encouraging Inspire to serve as a magnet for inbound tourists that also spreads the Korean wave around the world.
Korean traditional music band MeganDang performs during the grand opening ceremony of Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort in Incheon, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
“Under our guiding principle, the Spirit of Aquai, Inspire will contribute our part to the ultimate vision of making Yeongjong Island a global tourism destination and benefit all of us, living, working on this beautiful island,” said Chen Si, the president of Inspire Entertainment Resort, which is the Korean unit of Mohegan. He referred to the resort operator's guiding philosophy that includes the tribal values of welcoming, mutual respect, cooperation and relationship building.
Under the theme “The Joining of Two Cultures,” the opening ceremony featured live music performances by the Mohegan tribal drum group Unity of Nations and the Korean traditional music band MeganDang.
Mohegan tribal drum group Unity of Nations performs in celebration of Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort's grand opening in Incheon, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
The ceremony was attended by some 500 international and domestic guests, including members of the Mohegan Council of Elders and Tribal Council of Management Board, Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC) President and CEO Lee Hag-jae and American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) Chairman James Kim.