Reports that a new Legoland is to open in South Korea are wide of the mark, according to Legoland operator Merlin Entertainments.

Local media had cited government officials as confirming a 280,000sq m (3,013,895sq ft) Lego-based theme park, which would open in 2016 and aimed to attract more than one million visitors per year.

The reports said Legoland Korea would be located on a 1.29sq km (13,855,444sq ft) site on Jungdo Island in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, with Merlin investing US$97m (€70m, £58m) as the operator, while LL Development, a special-purpose corporation for Legoland Korea, would invest US$374m (€270m, £222m) in the park.

However, a spokesperson for Merlin Entertainments said no project in South Korea had been agreed or was near agreement – even though the site was one it has been looking at, among others, for potential expansion of the Legoland concept across the world.

The spokesperson added that the next project Merlin was likely to announce was not a Legoland in South Korea.