The Seoul Plaza Ice Rink, an iconic winter attraction in the city, will open Friday with upgraded facilities.

The ice rink will operate through Feb. 10 for a total of 52 days, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday.

 

The rink’s design has been changed for the first time since it opened four years ago. It has also been expanded from 1,166 to 1,897 square meters, 1.5 times its previous size.

In addition, a separate curling rink has been prepared, reflecting the rising popularity of the Winter Olympic sport.

A photo exhibition showing the two Korea’s sports exchanges will be held indoors, next to the rink. A virtual reality skiing experience zone has been prepared, along with a photo event zone.

The ice skating rink will open from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays, and from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekends and holidays. The entrance fee for an hour costs 1,000 won (88 cents), including skate rentals. The rink may be shut temporarily in the event of poor air quality.

This season, in celebration of the launch of Zero-Pay -- a city-sponsored mobile payment system -- visitors can receive a 30 percent discount (300 won) if they pay through the mobile app. Admission tickets will be sold at 100 won for the first 100 visitors who pay with Zero-Pay.

On Friday, there will be free admission to the rink after the opening ceremony.

Reservations for skating and curling lessons can be made online. Tickets can also be reserved online or purchased onsite. For more information, visit the English website at www.seoulskate.or.kr.eng.

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)