South Korea’s ‘Robot Theme Park’ Debuts Humanoid K-Pop Performers

A group of child-sized humanoid robots recently took the stage at an arena in eastern Seoul, South Korea. 

Dressed in baggy clothes and wigs, the machines danced in sync to opening beats by K-pop icon G-Dragon… at least until a mid-performance mechanical glitch required one of them to be pulled from the stage.

This performance marked the debut of Galaxy Robot Park. Spanning roughly 16,500 square metres (about 4.1 acres) in the Gangdong district of eastern Seoul, the facility officially opened to the public on May 15. Its creators claim it is the world’s first theme park devoted entirely to robot-based entertainment.

The ambitious project is spearheaded by Galaxy Corporation, an entertainment company that defines itself as an “enter-tech” firm blending media, music, and technology. Galaxy Corporation manages prominent Korean stars, including G-Dragon, Taemin of the group Shinee, and Parasite actor Song Kang-ho.

For the launch event, the company utilized humanoid robots from Chinese robotics firm Unitree, outfitting them in costumes inspired by G-Dragon’s stage attire. Galaxy Corporation says the park is more than a novelty attraction. The company wants robots to become a new form of entertainment export.

“We’re planning three to six K-pop concerts daily, over 1,000 shows annually. By the end of this year, we’re planning to take them on a world tour.” Choi Yong-ho, Galaxy’s chief executive and self-styled “chief happiness officer”, told reporters, according to The Guardian.

The broader idea is to create robot performers capable of appearing in multiple countries simultaneously. Once choreography is programmed into one machine, the same performance data can reportedly be shared instantly with robots elsewhere. According to The Guardian, Galaxy even believes the technology could eventually bring performances to places where human entertainers may struggle to travel, including conflict zones.

Beyond the concert stage

The attraction is designed as both a technology showcase and a tourist destination. Robot valets greet visitors at the entrance, while robotic dogs roam outdoor spaces, interacting with guests. One robotic arm sketches portraits while speaking to visitors during the drawing process.

Another section allows people to control humanoid fighting robots through a real-time mirroring system. During demonstrations, punches occasionally knocked gloves into the crowd, while fallen robots were quickly reset and returned to the match.

Travel publication TTW described the park as part of Seoul’s growing push to combine tourism with emerging technology experiences. The report said the attraction could appeal not only to families and K-pop fans, but also to business travellers and technology companies visiting South Korea.

Novelty show or cultural shift?

South Korea’s music industry has long used futuristic tech, ranging from SM Entertainment’s group Aespa, which pairs physical members with virtual avatars, to fully virtual boybands like Plave and Mave. Because K-pop demands extreme performance standards, precision training, and highly controlled public personas, observers often note that the genre seems uniquely suited for robotic synchronization.

However, industry experts are divided on whether audiences worldwide will embrace automated performers. Cha Woo-jin, a music critic and industry analyst, views the venture as an intriguing cultural and economic experiment.

“If you put a robot in an Elvis museum, fans would be repulsed,” Cha noted, per the Guardian. “But K-pop is a visual packaging model, so robots feel less alien.” Cha added that a robot tour would mirror the concept of a human cover dance crew, but “without hotel bills or per diems.”

Yet, the ultimate hurdle remains the deeply rooted “emotional economy” of K-pop fandoms. Modern fandom culture relies heavily on personal interactions, including livestreams, fan meets, and shared online communities. While robots can perform flawlessly without fatigue or scandals, they lack the vulnerability and authenticity required to form genuine human connections.

For Cha, the true test of the park’s longevity hinges entirely on this dynamic.

“That will determine if this is a genuine cultural shift or just a novelty show,” Cha said, according to the Guardian.

For now, Galaxy Robot Park is part spectacle, part experiment. Its long-term test will not be whether robots can hit their marks onstage, but whether fans will care when there is no human performer behind the performance.

Related: China is also testing household humanoid robots that can cook, clean, and do laundry, showing how quickly embodied AI is moving from spectacle to everyday life.

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