China's government has halted the progress of a US$2.6bn (€2.4bn, £2bn) theme park – developed by South Korean firm Lotte Group – in apparent retaliation to South Korea's decision to deploy a US missile shield.

Some of South Korea’s largest companies were threatened over Seoul’s decision to deploy the Thaad US ballistic missile shield, according to multiple reports, with the Lotte Group – the project’s developer – included among those companies.

Lotte Group – the largest operator of hotels and theme parks in South Korea – is currently developing Lotte Town, which is scheduled to open in Shenyang by 2019. The development is slated to include a theme park, shopping malls, apartments and office buildings.

According to Bloomberg, the government gave the order to suspend the development in December, but it is hoped that work can start again in March. Korea’s finance minister Yoo Il-ho had previously voiced concerns that China could be taking unfair and indirect action against its companies, with a number having various imports blocked over the international political feud.

China’s theme park boom was been identified as a major trend for Asia in 2016’s edition of the Global Trends Report by Euromonitor, with new developments and an emerging middle class driving tourism in the region.

As its theme park sector continues to thrive, China predicts spending at its parks to reach nearly US$12bn (€11.2bn, £9.5bn) by 2020, with visitor numbers surpassing 330 million people. As of the end of 2015, China had 59 parks planned or under construction.

This explosion in theme park development in the country is due in part to the Chinese government lifting a ban on theme park approval in 2013, enabling parks under US$800m to be approved at a provincial level, encouraging investors.