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Korea tragedy pushes back COP renovation celebration
South Korean investment giant E Land is postponing until mid-May its original April celebration to reopen Coral Ocean Point after a $4.4-million renovation, as a show of solidarity to those affected by last week’s sinking of a ferry off the coast of South Korea that has so far claimed 64 lives and 238 still missing.
Although 174 people were rescued soon after the vessel sank on April 16, no survivors have since been found.
Tae Ho Kim, general manager of Coral Ocean Point, told Department of Public Lands Secretary Pete A. Tenorio about E Land’s head office’s decision to postpone the reopening celebration of COP’s central building and swimming pool, in a letter dated April 18.
“This tragedy took a toll on our country that even our government has cancelled any type of ceremony or celebration, just to focus on the effort to save as many of our children as possible,” Kim told Tenorio in a one-page letter, copies of which were also sent yesterday to the Legislature and Gov. Eloy S. Inos.
Kim, however, said that, as E Land promised, COP will reopen its central building and swimming pool on Friday, April 25.
Only the re-opening celebration will be moved to mid-May.
“As a matter of fact, in observation of this heartbreaking news, E Land has also postponed the planned grand opening for our new hotel in Jeju Island, which was scheduled on April 17th,” Kim told the DPL secretary.
The ferry that capsized on April 16 off the coast of South Korea was headed to Jeju Island, the country’s biggest island and one of South Korea’s nine provinces.
The island is the country’s most popular holiday island, which has become known as the “Hawaii of South Korea.”
Meanwhile, back in May, E Land announced plans for a global hotel brand also for Coral Ocean Point, which has been undergoing a $4.4-million renovation. Coral Ocean Point reopened its doors to hotel guests on Dec. 29.
Besides COP, E Land—through its Micronesia Resort Inc.—also owns Pacific Islands Club on Saipan and the former The Palms Resort in San Roque, which will reopen under the global hotel brand Sheraton as early as next year.
