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A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrates the opening of Sunshine Land on Wednesday. / Courtesy of Hankook Ilbo |
By Chyung Eun-ju
If you want a taste of military life, Sunshine Land theme park is loaded with opportunities.
South Korea's premier army experience center opened in Nonsan City in South Chungcheong Province on Wednesday.
Visitors can take part in dynamic combat action at the 32,497-square-meter center that took three years to build and cost 10 billion won ($9 million).
Sunshine Land shows what it is like to be in the nation's military through leisure sports. They can be experienced in the combat zone, the virtual reality experience center, the screen shooting range, the multi-purpose stadium and the survival experience center.
Sudden Attack Studio inside the theme park borrowed the concept from the nation's popular first-person online shooting game "Sudden Attack."
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Visitors to Sunshine Land play a survival shooting game. / Courtesy of Hankook Ilbo |
Facilities at Sunshine Land were inspired by structures from the 1950s and the film sets of TV dramas and movies that highlighted historical or cultural features.
South Korean TV drama "Mr. Sunshine" on tvN, scheduled for release next year and starring Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-ri, will film at the center.
"South Korea's biggest army experience center Sunshine Land will potentially increase tourism demand and fuel the growth of Nonsan in the future," Mayor Hwang Myung-seon said. The city attracts over 1.3 million tourists a year.
"To make the center a tourist attraction that represents the Korean wave, we will develop unique Nonsan tourism merchandise," Hwang said.
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Sunshine Land opens in Nonsan City, South Chungcheong Province, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Hankook Ilbo |