Shinsegae Group announced Wednesday that a shopping complex -- the first to open under its new Starfield brand -- will open in September in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province.

Named personally by Shinsegae Group vice chairman Chung Yong-jin, Starfield represents Shinsegae’s vision for creating a “shopping theme park“ that offers both shopping and other forms entertainment to visitors. 

“Customers no longer focus only on buying what they need,” vice chairman Chung said through an official statement. “They are looking for a shopping venue that that offers more value and gives them a reason to want to visit.”

Starfield First Hanam, the first Starfield branch, will be the largest shopping mall in Korea, measuring 459,498 square meters of floor space, according to the group.

The 1 trillion-won ($860 million) project was carried out as a joint endeavor by Shinsegae group and Taubman Asia.

Shinsegae Group plans to open more Starfield shopping complexes in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, and Cheongna International City in Incheon.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)