New Lotte World Mall Attracts Nearly 30 Million Visitors

People stand in line to enter an aquarium at the New Lotte World Mall in southern Seoul on Oct. 10. /Newsis

The New Lotte World Mall in southern Seoul has attracted 28.2 million people or the equivalent of half of Korea's total population since it opened a year ago.

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Some 1.5 million Chinese tourists have visited the mall, making it a new hotspot that drew one out of every four Chinese visitors. The main appeal seems to be its massive duty-free shop, the biggest in the country.

Lotte said sales over the year totaled W1.15 trillion (US$1=W1,129).

That is impressive given that the aquarium was closed in the first five months after the mall opened last October and domestic consumption ground to a standstill for around three months due to the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in June.

Lotte says the outlook is bright. "When the 550-m Lotte World Tower is completed late next year, it will become a new gigantic landmark in Seoul. Including the existing Lotte World Mall, we will be able to attract 2.5 million tourists each year and create some 20,000 jobs", Lotte said.

Lotte is holding a series of events to mark the first anniversary including bargain sales.