[THE INVESTOR] Shinsegae’s mega shopping complex slated to open in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, will become the first place to showcase Tesla’s electric vehicles, industry sources said on Aug. 2.

Although Starfield Hanam and the US electric car maker’s Korean branch are fine-tuning the details, the first store is set to open in November taking up 200 square meters on the second floor of the mall, which will unveil in September as the largest mall in the country. 




The showroom will be directly accessible from the parking lot, which will be equipped with charging points for the vehicles.

Tesla was reportedly in talks with Lotte but finally chose Shinsegae, whose vice chairman Chung Yong-jin is known to be a fan. He even personally brought a Tesla vehicle from US in 2014 although he does not own it anymore, and has been very much involved in bringing Tesla onboard.

The size and concept of Starfield must have helped seal the deal. While only 20 kilometers away from Seoul, the outdoor shopping mall will be spread over 117,990 square meters and aims to be a an all-inclusive destination.

By Hwang You-mee (glamazon@heraldcorp.com)