Ferrari S.p.A. is looking to build an ultra-large theme park near Seoul as part of its tourism-inspired promotion drive, officials here said Thursday.

Senior officials of the city of Paju, about 50 kilometers northwest of Seoul, said they have begun talks with the Italian company over the development of the amusement park dedicated to racing cars, similar to Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi.

The carmaker launched the world’s largest indoor theme park in the capital of the United Arab Emirates last year. The tourist destination features a raft of rides and attractions including the world’s fastest rollercoaster and a gargantuan company logo on the roof.

“Paju must be the perfect place to host the Ferrari World given its heavy population, high-quality labors and convenient location close to Seoul and airports,” Paju Mayor Lee In-jae said in a statement.

City officials said they plan to transform Paju into a new town specialized in leisure, tourism and culture by hosting the theme park and installing large shopping complexes in partnership with major retailers like Lotte and Shinsegae.

The establishment of the Ferrari World will bring some 30,000 new residents into the city and create jobs, the officials added, giving no details in numbers.

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)