A new public plaza in Seoul is set to bring live concerts to commuters and office workers. Part of a Seoul Metropolitan Government programme to turn underused spaces near major subway stations into cultural and leisure hubs, Munjeong Fun Station features an HK Audio sound system designed and installed by Korean integrator Sama Sound.
Alongside everyday cultural events and video screenings, the plaza near Munjeong Station will become a Connected Live venue, broadcasting performances from Seoul Arena, the city’s new large-scale concert venue, currently under construction and due for completion in the first half of 2027, on a big LED screen. That meant the audio had to do far more than background music and announcements: it needed to carry the energy of a live show in the open air.
Located in the heart of a business district and surrounded by offices and busy pedestrian routes, Sama Sound faced a demanding and partly conflicting brief. During live broadcasts the system had to deliver high SPLs and even coverage, while staying clear and natural at low volume during day-to-day screenings. Being a permanent outdoor installation, sound had to stay focused on the plaza rather than spilling into neighbouring buildings and walkways with every component naturally needing to be weatherproof.
Sama Sound chose HK Audio’s SI P10i and SI P10j column arrays as the main system for their strong output from a compact enclosure, along with their IP66 rating for dust and water resistance. Mounted at four points around the plaza (each with two SI P10i and one SI P10j), 12 SI Series loudspeaker units provide clarity and precise directivity, while two HK Audio S210 V subwoofers at each position, eight in all, provide the low end needed for concert content. Beneath the plaza’s canopy, where the main arrays can’t reach, four HK Audio Vortis 2 VR2-11510 loudspeakers with the optional polyurethane (PU) coating fill in coverage and add extra weather protection. The system is powered by Powersoft Quattrocanali amplifiers and controlled by a Q-Sys Core processor, integrated with the plaza’s LED display.
The biggest practical challenge was the mounting surface. The walls at each speaker position were highly irregular, making standard installation methods unreliable, yet the SI Series’ directivity depended on each array being fixed at exactly the planned position and angle. Sama Sound’s structural design specialist developed custom brackets based on HK Audio’s original hardware and adapted them to the site, securing the loudspeakers precisely and robustly enough for long-term outdoor use.
The Sama System Design team handled the overall system design, while the Video Project team delivered the video and live broadcast system and affiliate company Sama CDS carried out the on-site audio installation.
According to Sama Sound, the finished system exceeded expectations. The SI Series and S210 V combination gives concert playback a genuine live atmosphere across the open plaza, while everyday screenings remain clear at lower levels and careful positioning keeps sound focused on the listening areas. The facility operators have reported being particularly impressed by how full and powerful the system sounds given the loudspeakers’ compact size.
‘Munjeong Fun Station was a challenging project that required us to deliver the rich, powerful sound expected from a concert venue while maintaining harmony with the surrounding environment,’ says John Ju, Senior Research Engineer with the Sama System Design Team. ‘The HK Audio SI Series delivered outstanding output and sound quality that exceeded expectations for its compact design. Its precise directional characteristics also allowed us to effectively meet the project’s demanding requirements.
‘The IP66 dust and water resistance rating was an important factor in selecting the SI Series for this outdoor installation. Through this install, HK Audio’s technical capabilities and outstanding product quality really shone through – we look forward to actively incorporating these sound solutions into a wide range of future projects.’
More: www.hkaudio.com