Kumdori Land being demolished

[BDG]

A little introduction...

 

 

• where is this park?
  Daejeon, South Korea
   
  when did it open/close?
  It opened in 1993 as part of the '93 World's Fair.
  It closed in 2012.
   
  what is a kumdori?
  Kumdori was the name of the World's Fair mascot...
   
  

 

 

 

 

It's possible that you've seen pictures of the park's signature ride, one of Vekoma's biggest coasters ever.

A whopping 52 m tall (170 ft), 1100 m long (3600 ft) and 5 inversions, including massive back-to-back loops.

 

There were also 2 family coasters: http://rcdb.com/5037.htm

 

 

Some photos of that huge Vekoma...

(from TPR's 2007 South Korea Trip)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robb-o-vision POV:

(2007)

 

 

 

A walk through the closed park:

(February 2015)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH87kGpCjYQ

 

 

And... it's gone:

(April-May 2015)

 

https://instagram.com/roy1147

 

https://instagram.com/smashfilm

 

https://instagram.com/yeonsoojo

 

 

 

Maybe Gutterflower can investigate what is going on? Why did it close? Where are the rides going?

 

 

.

Edited May 27, 2015 by BDG

[Gutterflower]

There's a news story here. But it will require translation. Its pretty long.

 

The park has been closed since 2012 due to unpaid bills and pretty much going bankrupt

It appears the parks land has been sold off now and the rides are being scrapped.

[DoinItForTheFame]

Sad to see the park closing. It may not have been a *great* park, but it was a park regardless. You never want to see a park having financial issues. Also, even though it was a Vekoma... It looked like it would have been fun... Not amazing, but fun! It looked like an interesting layout for a Vekoma. I found the pre-drop rather unique!

[BlahBlahson]

I rode a bus there in November 2011 hoping to ride the Horror Express. It was closed, but I did get 2 kiddie credits. I guess it may have been closed for good at that point!

[SharkTums]

Wow, interesting.

[robbalvey]

This park seemed abandoned when we visited in 2007. There wasn't anyone else in the amusement section of the park, although most everything was open. The "worlds fair" part was downright creepy. It felt like walking through an abandoned Epcot. Although I vaguely remember a story at some point where they got the monorail back up and running. Not sure why, but I think they did. Wonder if that's still the case.

 

The coaster was not bad, for a Vekoma, but it also isn't something I'm sad to see go. Shame they couldn't make the park work post the worlds fair.

[Jew]

^Those were my thoughts exactly. It was so creepy with all the closed pavilions and empty amusement park.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Jew

[SharkTums]

Here's our report from the park eight years ago: http://www.themeparkreview.com/parks/photo.php?pageid=407&linkid=3899

 

BTW, here's me taking a Selfie at the park back in 2007 before that word even existed!

 

Edited May 27, 2015 by SharkTums

[viking86]

https://instagram.com/smashfilm

 

So bizarre to see scrapped coastertrack with the train still on it. Cannot recall having seen that before...