“Second – Generation Lotte World” construction completed in Seoul
Shin Kyuk-ho, CEO of the “Lotte”, which is Korea’s fifth-largest company with an annual revenue of more than $70billion, first planned this “second-generation Lotte World” about 28 years ago. Since many Korean companies as a whole had lost their image for safety, especially after the ferry sinking in April 2014, Shin was urged to implement this project as soon as possible not only to change the image of Korean companies from dangerous to safe but also to strengthen the Korean economy. During the construction, Shin focused particularly on safety problems. He devised five to six different safety measures, adopted ACS Safety Netting, and introduced the protection screen system (first in Korea).
(koreatimesus.com/)
“Many people believe this place is dangerous. Some even fabricate rumors about this place and establish the atmosphere of distrust, however, even they will enjoy visiting this place,” said Shin.
Climbing towards its planned 555-meter height (approximately 1,823 feet), the “world-class” new Lotte tower reached the 99th floor (planned to be 123 stories), with office space, apartments, a six-star hotel, and even a gallery. A gigantic six-storey mall, the biggest in Korea, is right next the tower, which is a standard in such construction projects.
However, safety concerns have still been raised as the number of visitors increased. While the tower construction is due to be completed in 2016, the mall next to the Lotte theme park, an aquarium, and the multiplex theater recently opened to welcome visitors. However, vibrations and seepages from the multiplex theater and aquarium and the big conflagration from the mall captured the public’s attention first instead of its value as a landmark of Seoul, Korea. Thus, its visitors decreased from 100,000 a day to 58,000 a day, causing discounts on most products to re-attract visitors.
Although many problems have surfaced the second-generation Lotte tower. Shin and his company are committed to do their best to establish the dream of opening the next major landmark of Seoul known not only for its usual grandeur but also for its focus on safety.
S.W.Han
