PETALING JAYA (March 12): 1 Utama Shopping Mall has signed a Memorandum of Signing (MoU) with four Korean retail brands and soft launched the first and biggest Korean-themed retail zone in Malaysia today.

Dubbed District K, it comprises a four-level new Korean-themed retail zone located at “1 Utama E” — a hip and trendy new wing in 1 Utama Shopping Centre focused on sports tourism, entertainment and F&B spanning over 80,000 sq ft.

Positioned as the first and biggest Hallyu wave (Korean wave) in Malaysia to house K-Pop culture, District K features an authentic Korean street experience driven by K-pop and K-drama popularity, Korean artiste meet-and-greet viewing gallery, performance and hologram theatre, augmented entertainment, famous Korean restaurants, retail, skincare and beauty.

"With the constant change in consumer expectations and the increasing introduction of technology, especially in gaming and entertainment and experiential participation of players. snooping malls have to be agile and adaptive as well as ahead of the curve in these fast changing landscape. Within this scenario. malls constantly strive to offer new and different retailers and merchandise mix, F&B and entertainment in order to attract shoppers. 

"The soft launch of District K spearheads its goal of opening up tremendous opportunities to Korean retailers to Malaysia and attract even more tourists ," said 1 Utama director and Malaysia Shopping Malls Association (PPK) president Tan Sri Teo Chiang Kok during the signing ceremony with four of its tenants today. 

District K is targeted for completion by the end of this year with an investment value of RM120 million. 

Meanwhile, PPK Malaysia also signed an MoU with the Korean Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) to enhance mutual trade collaboration and co-operation between Korea and Malaysia and to bring in new franchise opportunities of Korean companies to all shopping malls in Malaysia. It is also to further enhance the retail and merchandise in shopping malls and offer a wider choice for all consumers from international businesses.

KOTRA is the Korean government trade investment and promotion agency in Kuala Lumpur under the purview of the Ministry Of Commerce, Industry and Energy of South Korea. Kotra KL functions to facilitate and foster the bilateral trade and investment relations between Korea and Malaysia.   

Phase one of 1 Utama E was opened early last year which saw the opening of two sports tourism centres, FlowRider (a simulated wave generator featuring sheet wave technology designed in the US for flowboarding, bodyboarding and surfing) and AirRider (an indoor skydiving wind tunnel for simulated sky diving from the Czech Republic and Australia) – that are the first of their kind in Malaysia. — EdgeProp.my

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