Lotte World Mall
Lotte World Mall is a large mixed-use shopping and entertainment complex in Seoul's Songpa District, incorporating retail, dining, leisure, cultural, and tourism facilities alongside Lotte World Tower.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Lotte World Mall is a major mixed-use commercial and entertainment complex in Seoul, South Korea. Located in Songpa District next to the existing Lotte World site, it forms part of the broader Lotte World Complex together with Lotte World Tower and the Avenue L building. The complex combines shopping, food and beverage, cinemas, an aquarium, a concert venue, consumer electronics retail, a hypermarket, duty-free shopping, and premium department-store functions rather than operating as a conventional enclosed mall with a single retail format. The project originated in Lotte Group's long-term plan to create a second major Lotte World development centered on a skyscraper. The concept was discussed in 1987 and publicly announced in 1994 as a proposed tower project. Progress was delayed by the 1997 Asian financial crisis and by concerns about the proposed tower's relationship to aircraft operations at nearby Seoul Airport. The tower concept was subsequently enlarged from an initial plan for 108 floors and approximately 450 metres to a 123-floor, 555-metre landmark. Construction of the tower began in 2009 after changes to the alignment of one airport runway. Construction of the second Lotte World Complex also began in 2009, and the development received the name Lotte World Mall in 2013. The mall began opening in stages on October 14 and 15, 2014. Avenue L, Lotte Mart, and Lotte Hi-Mart opened on the first day, followed by Lotte Cinema, Lotte Duty-Free Shop, and Lotte World Aquarium on the second. The complex occupies a site of approximately 26,000 square metres and has a reported total floor area of about 244,000 square metres. An underground plaza links the mall building with Lotte World Tower, allowing the different components to function as a connected destination. Its entertainment offer is a defining part of the brand. Lotte World Aquarium presents aquatic ecosystems through themed exhibition areas and includes a large tunnel tank. Lotte Cinema operates a flagship large-format auditorium at the site, while Lotte Concert Hall provides a 2,036-seat venue for classical music and other performances. The tower adds further retail, office, hospitality, and residential-style accommodation functions to the overall complex. Lotte World Tower was structurally completed in December 2016 and officially opened in April 2017, expanding the destination's role from shopping center to city landmark and tourism-oriented mixed-use district. The development also experienced operational and safety scrutiny. During construction, a worker died in an incident involving a high-pressure component, and a passerby was injured when a glass railing fixture fell from an upper level. After opening, the cinema and aquarium were temporarily closed in December 2014 because of screen vibration and an aquarium tank leak, respectively. Both facilities reopened roughly five months later following review and approval by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The concert hall's construction was also delayed by a workplace accident before opening in August 2016. Lotte World Mall's current positioning is therefore based on destination retail: it integrates everyday shopping, luxury and duty-free retail, entertainment, culture, dining, and landmark tourism under the Lotte name. Its scale and connection to Lotte World Tower distinguish it from a standard department store or shopping center, while its facilities provide multiple reasons for local residents and visitors to spend extended periods within the complex.
History
The origins of Lotte World Mall lie in Lotte Group's plan to develop a second major Lotte World destination beside its established Seoul leisure complex. The concept was envisioned in 1987 as a skyscraper-led expansion. In December 1994, Lotte publicly announced a second Lotte World project centered on a proposed 450-metre, 108-floor tower. The plan did not advance as initially expected. The 1997 Asian financial crisis contributed to the delay, while the proposed height and location raised concerns about visibility and flight operations at nearby Seoul Airport. The project was later revised. In 2002, the tower plan was expanded to 123 floors and approximately 555 metres. At the tower's 2006 groundbreaking ceremony it was referred to as Lotte Super Tower. Construction of the tower finally began in 2009, after Seoul Airport altered the angle of one runway by three degrees to accommodate the structure. Work on the associated second Lotte World Complex also began in 2009. The retail and entertainment portion was formally named Lotte World Mall in October 2013. Construction was accompanied by several safety incidents. A construction worker died after a high-pressure cap burst, and a passerby was injured when a glass railing fixture fell from the third floor. These incidents contributed to scrutiny of the development while construction continued. A planned temporary opening in May 2014 was postponed, and the complex ultimately opened in October of that year. The initial opening was staged across two days. Avenue L, Lotte Mart, and Lotte Hi-Mart opened on October 14, 2014. Lotte Cinema, Lotte Duty-Free Shop, and Lotte World Aquarium followed on October 15. The site comprises approximately 26,000 square metres and has a reported total floor area of 244,000 square metres. The mall building and tower are connected by an underground plaza, creating an integrated circulation route between retail, entertainment, offices, hospitality, and other uses. The first months of operation brought further disruptions. In December 2014, the cinema was closed because of screen vibrations and the aquarium was closed after a tank leak. Both facilities reopened after approximately five months following approval from the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The development's concert hall was also delayed by a workplace accident. Lotte Concert Hall eventually opened on August 18, 2016, adding a major classical-performance venue to the complex. Lotte World Tower reached construction completion on December 22, 2016, and formally opened on April 3, 2017. Its presence broadened the complex's identity from a shopping mall to a vertically integrated urban destination containing retail, offices, a luxury hotel, officetel accommodation, cultural venues, entertainment, and tourism facilities. Lotte World Aquarium has been a notable but contested component of the development. It contains themed ecosystem zones, a large tunnel tank, and a substantial collection of marine animals. Two captive beluga whales, Bellu and Belli, died in 2016 and 2019. Animal-rights advocates subsequently criticized the aquarium's cetacean display, and Lotte World Mall committed in 2019 to moving the remaining beluga, Bella, to an overseas sanctuary. The supplied reference material states that Bella was still being exhibited as of December 2023. Today, Lotte World Mall functions as the retail and entertainment core of the wider Lotte World Complex. Its brand proposition rests on combining everyday and premium shopping with restaurants, cinema, aquarium visits, live performance, duty-free retail, and access to the Lotte World Tower landmark. The complex serves both Seoul residents and visitors seeking a concentrated leisure and shopping destination.
- 2017
Lotte World Tower officially opens
[1]The tower officially opened on April 3, 2017, completing the landmark component of the wider complex.
- 2016
Lotte Concert Hall opens
[1]The 2,036-seat concert hall opened on August 18 after construction delays.
- 2016
Lotte World Tower construction completed
[1]Construction of the tower was completed on December 22.
- 2014
Lotte World Mall opens
[1]The principal retail facilities opened on October 14, followed by the cinema, duty-free shop, and aquarium on October 15.
- 2013
Development formally named Lotte World Mall
[1]The second Lotte World Complex's retail and entertainment development received the Lotte World Mall name.
- 2009
Tower and mall-complex construction begins
[1]Construction of Lotte World Tower began after an adjustment to a Seoul Airport runway, while construction of the second Lotte World Complex also commenced.
- 2006
Lotte Super Tower name used at groundbreaking
[1]The tower was referred to as Lotte Super Tower at its groundbreaking ceremony.
- 2002
Tower plan expanded
[1]The proposed tower was revised upward to 123 floors and approximately 555 metres.
- 1994
Second Lotte World project announced
[1]The proposed development was publicly described as a 450-metre, 108-floor skyscraper project.
- 1987
Second Lotte World concept envisioned
[1]Lotte Group developed the idea of a second Lotte World project featuring a major skyscraper beside the existing Lotte World site.
Products and positioning
A landmark, destination-oriented mixed-use retail and entertainment complex that combines shopping, hospitality, culture, leisure, and tourism around Lotte World Tower in Seoul.
Department store and premium retail · 2014
Avenue L
Avenue L is the premium department-store component of the complex. It contributes fashion, luxury, beauty, accessories, and related high-end retail functions to the destination, complementing the more general merchandise and entertainment facilities elsewhere in Lotte World Mall.
Hypermarket · 2014
Lotte Mart
Lotte Mart provides supermarket and hypermarket retail within the complex. Its role is centered on groceries, household supplies, packaged goods, and other everyday merchandise, giving the destination a practical shopping component alongside its premium and leisure-oriented facilities.
Consumer electronics retail · 2014
Lotte Hi-Mart
Lotte Hi-Mart is the complex's home-appliance and electronics retail operation. It broadens the mall's merchandise mix beyond fashion and general department-store goods by offering consumer technology and household electrical products.
Aquarium and leisure attraction · 2014
Lotte World Aquarium
Lotte World Aquarium is a large public aquarium organized around thirteen themed zones representing different aquatic environments. The facility includes freshwater and marine animals, a substantial tunnel tank, and reported capacity of approximately 5.2 million litres across its tanks. Its animal displays and treatment of captive beluga whales have also attracted criticism from animal-rights advocates.
Cinema · 2014
Lotte Cinema
Lotte Cinema provides the complex's film exhibition offer. Its flagship Supreplex G auditorium has been described as having one of the largest cinema screens, measuring approximately 34.6 metres wide by 26.8 metres high. The cinema temporarily closed after opening because of screen vibrations and later reopened.
Performing arts venue · 2016
Lotte Concert Hall
Lotte Concert Hall is a 2,036-seat classical performance venue within the Lotte World Mall complex. It adds a cultural and live-performance function to the destination and opened in August 2016 after construction delays.
Duty-free retail · 2014
Lotte Duty-Free Shop
The Lotte Duty-Free Shop serves international and domestic visitors with duty-free merchandise as part of the complex's tourism-oriented retail mix. It opened during the initial October 2014 launch period.
Mixed-use tower and landmark · 2017
Lotte World Tower
Lotte World Tower is the landmark skyscraper integrated with Lotte World Mall through an underground plaza. Its uses include retail, offices, a luxury hotel, and officetel accommodation. The tower's completion and opening expanded the complex's role as a mixed-use urban and tourism destination.
Controversies
2019
Criticism over captive beluga whales
The deaths of two captive beluga whales, together with continued exhibition of another whale, prompted criticism from animal-rights advocates. Lotte World Mall committed to transferring the remaining beluga to an overseas sanctuary, but the supplied reference states that the animal remained on display as of December 2023.
2014
Construction safety incidents
During construction, a worker died after a high-pressure cap burst, and a passerby was injured by a glass railing fixture that fell from the third floor. The incidents brought safety scrutiny to the development.
2014
Post-opening cinema and aquarium closures
The cinema was closed over screen vibrations and the aquarium was closed after a tank leak. Both facilities later reopened after review and approval by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Brand decisions
2019
Commit to transferring the remaining beluga whaleStrategyBackground
Animal-rights advocates criticized the aquarium after the deaths of two captive beluga whales in 2016 and 2019.
Action taken
Lotte World Mall committed to transferring the remaining beluga, Bella, to an overseas sanctuary.
Aftermath
The supplied reference material states that Bella continued to be exhibited as of December 2023, indicating that the announced transfer had not been completed by that date.
2014
Stage the opening of Lotte World MallProduct launchBackground
The planned temporary opening in May 2014 was delayed during the final development period.
Action taken
Lotte opened the retail facilities on October 14 and the cinema, duty-free shop, and aquarium on October 15.
Aftermath
The staged launch established the complex as a combined shopping, entertainment, and tourism destination, although the cinema and aquarium soon underwent temporary closures.
2014
Temporarily close the cinema and aquariumOtherBackground
The cinema experienced screen vibrations and the aquarium experienced a tank leak after the initial opening.
Action taken
Both facilities were closed while the issues were investigated and addressed.
Aftermath
The cinema and aquarium reopened approximately five months later after Seoul Metropolitan Government approval.
2013
Name the retail and entertainment development Lotte World MallStrategyBackground
The second Lotte World project had evolved into a connected complex containing retail, leisure, cultural, and landmark components.
Action taken
Lotte formally used the Lotte World Mall name for the mall portion of the development.
Aftermath
The name was used for the retail and entertainment destination that opened in October 2014.
2002
Expand the proposed tower to 123 floorsStrategyBackground
Lotte revised the original skyscraper concept for the second Lotte World project, increasing it from a planned 108 floors to 123 floors and approximately 555 metres.
Action taken
The enlarged tower concept became the central landmark of the later Lotte World Complex.
Aftermath
The revised plan ultimately produced Lotte World Tower, which opened in 2017 and integrated with the mall through an underground plaza.
Sources2 sources
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