Does Seoul Need the World’s Largest Ferris Wheel and Another Slogan?
To me this huge ferris wheel will just be an eye sore, there is plenty of places to go in Seoul to take in the views without this ferris wheel:
![Oh Se-hoon, mayor of Seoul, speaks during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on Aug. 12 at Seoul City Hall. [PARK SANG-MOON]](https://i0.wp.com/koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2022/08/18/6b5506bf-b564-40e8-9f6a-61ddaed092e7.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
To put Seoul on a par with New York City, London, and Paris, Mayor Oh Se-hoon has some lofty ambitions. One is the world’s tallest Ferris wheel offering views over the Han River.
Joong Ang Ilbo
Oh thinks the Korean capital can become one of the top five global cities. His rallying slogan for the vision doesn’t translate into very stirring English — “Attractive Seoul”— but it’s behind some very big goals. One is to attract 30 million tourists a year from across the globe. Another is to draw investors from cutting edge industries and create a new Silicon Valley in Asia.
In early August, the Seoul city government announced a project called the Great Sunset Han River, which includes tourist attractions to be built such as large floating stages and waterfront sculptures. One will be the world’s tallest observation wheel, larger than the London Eye or the Singapore Flyer.
You can read more at the link, but as the article points out the slogan of “Attractive Seoul” does not have good ring to it in English. With that said it is still better than “I Seoul U” which makes no sense.
Increase prestige by re-creating the London Eye. Got it.
Mayor Oh, not unlike his mentor Lee Myung-bak, likes big iconic type projects.
The Seoul City Hall building(the one that looks like a glass blob or something) and the floating concert hall are some of Mayor Oh’s babies during his first term.
So, no surprises here.
“Sparkling!”
Korea already had a chance to do this when they built Sejong City (sic).
Instead of a global destination made of chrome and glass linked with cutting edge elevated transportation and illuminated with AI controlled LEDs, we got ready-made post-Soviet decay and a road layout designed to cause heart attack-inducing stress between the hours of 6am and 11pm.
Korea should be ashamed of Sejong.
And they should be ashamed of thinking Seoul will be a better place after spending money they don’t have to buy stuff nobody cares about.
Protip: No tourists will come to Korea to ride a fuckìng Ferris wheel.
I made a plan years ago to make Korea a tourist destination. Making half-àssed versions of other country’s attractions was not part of that plan.
…but the world’s largest Viking suspended between the 63 Building and Lotte Tower… hell yeah!
I’m thinking kimchi-flavored toothpaste might sell faster to waygooks than ferris wheel rides…
I always save the little tube of red pepper paste they give you on the airlines.
When I get to America, I give it to someone’s kid and tell them it is Korean toothpaste.
Twelve hours later…
“What in the fùck was that you gave my kid?”
“That’s why I come to the states… gotta stock up on real toothpaste. I will bring some dog flavored popsicles next time.”
“They have that?”
“Sure! And boiled pig blood, live octopus, and little chips that taste like chemical shrimp.”