Can confusing Coex layout pose security problems?

People walk along the spacious hallways of Korea’s premiere convention and exhibition venue, the Coex Center, in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, Friday. Coex will be the main venue for the G20 Seoul Summit on Nov. 11 and 12. / Korea Times photo by Cathy Rose A. Garcia

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia

All eyes will be focused on the world’s top leaders gathering at the G20 Seoul Summit on Nov. 11 and 12. Coex Convention and Exhibition Center, as its official venue, will be the center of all the action.

While it is known as Korea’s premiere convention and exhibition location, there are still doubts whether Coex is ready for its time in the international spotlight.

Coex, a subsidiary unit of the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), has years of experience as the venue for international conventions and exhibitions, but the G20 Seoul Summit is perhaps the biggest and most important event to be held there.

Can Coex’s facilities handle such a high-profile event that will attract the world’s most powerful leaders, as well as government officials, businessmen, media and tourists from all over the world?

There are concerns about the adequacy of Coex facilities and security, as well as the confusing layout.

Coex is located in the heart of the sprawling Korean World Trade Center complex in Samseong-dong, one of the busiest areas in Seoul. Over 100,000 people go to Coex and its surrounding facilities every day.

Organizers have assured a three-layer security perimeter will be in place during the summit, but this will cause disruption to businesses not just in the complex but also at nearby offices and establishments.

The Coex itself has numerous entrance and exit points, which are good for accessibility, but a nightmare for security. One can easily access Coex through several ground level entrances, as well as basement entrances from the Coex Mall. There was no security personnel at any of the entrances, and only a handful of security personnel were spotted walking around the halls recently. The level of security is expected to be beefed up during the G20 Seoul Summit next month, but it would be comforting to see security measures being taken as early as now.

Coex has four floors of convention halls and meeting rooms, which are accessible using escalators and elevators. Its facilities have been promoted as the best in Korea, but there is still always room for improvement.

There are many escalators and elevators, but only four ``squares’’ give visitors access to all the floors, plus the basement and parking areas. Visitors are sometimes not sure which elevators will take them to their destination.

The convention halls are spacious and have high ceilings but it feels very sterile and looks rather bland. The main hallways are lined with billboards and advertisements, which are quite unsightly. Some hallways feature big artworks but these do not do much to give any character to the Coex’s lifeless interiors.

Perhaps because of Coex’s desire to be a ``green’’ and ``eco-friendly’’ venue, some of the hallways and areas are dimly lit. As for the first floor where natural light streams in from the windows, there is no problem. But the lack of proper lighting in other areas only makes Coex look dreary.

The Coex layout can be somewhat confusing too, despite the presence of many English and Korean maps, as well as information desks. There are helpful English-speaking personnel manning the information kiosks, but not many English pamphlets and brochures are available.

Pricey Coex

People who go to Coex may have few dining choices, with only the Chosun Deli and O’Kim’s Brauhaus food court located inside the building. The price of the food is slightly expensive, but not necessarily delicious. At O’Kim’s Brauhaus, a hot stone pot of bibimbap costs 8,500 won, pork cutlet is 8,500 won, a chicken salad is 15,000 won and hamburger steak is 14,000 won.

Diners can head down to Coex Mall food court for somewhat cheaper dining options, but the quality of the restaurants still leaves much to be desired. Those with discerning taste buds and thick wallets can head for posh restaurants located in the hotels in the vicinity such as Coex InterContinental Hotel, Oakwood Premier Hotel, Grand InterContinental Hotel and Park Hyatt Hotel.

Wireless Internet is available at the Coex but one has to buy an Internet coupon that costs 10,000 won for four hours of access.

Accessibility is easy for the Coex. One can take the subway, bus, car and the city air terminal (for international visitors) to get there. The Samseong Subway Station is on Line 2, and is one of the busiest subway stations in the city. It can be a problem dealing with the crowds at the subway, since Coex is only a stone’s throw away.

Getting there by car can be expensive because of the exorbitant parking fees. Parking for 30 minutes means paying 2,000 won, plus 1,000 won for every succeeding 15 minutes. If one spends six hours at Coex, the parking tab will run up to 24,000 won for parking alone. There is a one-day parking card that is available for 40,000 won.

But if one plans on doing a lot of shopping at Coex Mall, one can get discounts on parking. Watching a movie at Megabox or going to the aquarium can get you free parking minutes. Bandi & Luni customers who buy 20,000 worth get 30 minutes worth of free parking on weekdays and 1 hour free parking on weekends. The more you buy, the more free parking hours you get.

The Coex parking fees are significantly higher, especially compared to the nearby Gangnam Tancheon parking lot, which charges 200 won for every 10 minutes or 1,200 won for an hour. If one parks there for six hours, one pays only 7,200 won. The downside is the parking lot is a 10 to 15 minute-walk from Coex.

Going green

Coex prides itself in being a pioneer in Korea’s green growth industry, and is trying to become a leader in the Green MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) industry.

There is a lot of natural light streaming from the glass windows, and the complex uses energy efficient LED lighting, instead of incandescent and fluorescent lights. Even the floors are now polished concrete, instead of carpets that need to be replaced.

There are certain ``green spaces’’ around the Coex, such as the piano fountain park and roof garden. The plants aim to reduce the ``urban heat island’’ effect, but some of these green spaces have become smoking areas. Subsequently these gardens are not exactly an ideal place for non-smokers to sit down and enjoy the cool autumn weather, since it is filled with smokers.

Coex has been improving its facilities to become more eco-friendly, such as recycling rainwater and ``gray’’ water with low toxicity, in toilets. There are stickers reminding people that the toilet uses recycled water, while the soap is water-soluble and the tissue can be dissolved in water.

However, the washrooms need to be upgraded and cleanliness should be maintained at all times.

On paper, Coex seems to be an excellent choice to host the G20 Seoul Summit. Yet with only a month to go, Coex should make more efforts to prove that it is ready and able to host an international event like the G20 Seoul Summit without a hitch.