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Unveils Plan for Dome Stadium, K-POP Arena and Media-Art Hub — Tourism Will Revive Neighborhood Economies

Lee Jae-jun, the Democratic Party candidate for Suwon’s special-status mayor, rolled out a second policy platform that aims to link Suwon’s historical, cultural and sports assets to build a city people around the world will choose to visit.

If his first pledge, “Half-Price Living Costs,” was designed to protect residents’ budgets, this proposal is intended to revive neighborhood economies and create new economic drivers for Suwon’s future.

According to reporting by EToday, Lee used the press conference on the 18th to present the K-Global Cultural Tourism Industry Hub — Suwon plan. The strategy rests on three pillars: content, infrastructure and ecosystem.

The first pillar is cultivating world-class cultural tourism content. Lee proposes converting King Jeongjo’s royal procession route into a K-Culture Road. He would integrate the procession’s historic path—from Seoul through Anyang, Gunpo and Uiwang to Suwon and Hwaseong—with K-POP, K-dance, K-media art and K-food to develop a regional cultural tourism offering.

He also proposed positioning Suwon as a global leader in media art by integrating AI and semiconductor technologies. By staging media-art installations on Hwaseong Fortress and creating dedicated media-art venues, the plan aims to make Suwon a destination for international night tourism.

The second pillar focuses on building tourism infrastructure that encourages overnight stays. Proposals include a sports complex around the Suwon Sports Complex, a next-generation dome stadium, expedited completion of the Suwon K-POP Arena and expanded lodging options.

Lee plans to leverage Suwon’s advantage as the home city of four major professional sports teams to attract international events such as esports and volleyball tournaments. On transportation, he would connect tourist sites and everyday hubs into a single loop using the free Suwon tour buses he announced in his first pledge.

The third pillar aims to create a cultural-tourism ecosystem that brings visitors back. The plan emphasizes turning local character into a tourism asset and developing young local merchants and cultural-tourism professionals. An AI- and data-driven smart commerce system would analyze foot traffic and spending patterns and support district-specific strategies so visitor spending flows directly into small-business revenues.

Addressing concerns about the fiscal burden of large infrastructure projects, Lee said he would avoid developments that recklessly saddle the city with debt financed by taxpayers. He added that major projects would move forward through public-private joint development and private financing to minimize the city’s fiscal exposure.

“Suwon already has Hwaseong Fortress—a UNESCO World Heritage site—an old downtown rich with compelling stories, advanced smart infrastructure and the advantage of four professional sports teams,” Lee said. “I will link these assets so tourists come, stay, spend and return, and ensure the benefits reach traditional markets and neighborhood merchants.”

Lee plans to hold a third policy announcement at his campaign office on the 25th, where he will present proposals for the Suwon Free Economic Zone and other initiatives.