Asia-Pacific real asset owner and manager ESR has announced plans to build its first data center in South Korea in partnership with Seoul-based Wide Creek Asset Management. The 80-megawatt facility spanning a nine-storey complex is named KR1 Data Center. Construction is scheduled to begin this week in Incheon’s Bupyeong district and will be fully operational by 2028 with a lease to Princeton Digital Group (PDG).
KR1 is designed by ESR, as development manager, with ESR and Wide Creek AMC jointly undertaking the construction of its core and shell. PDG will subsequently manage the internal fit-out and operations, said ESR in a press release today.
Stuart Gibson, ESR’s co-founder and co-CEO, said, “Strategically located in Incheon, a key business hub with world-class infrastructure, KR1 will position our customers and partners at the center of this growth.”
Diarmid Massey, CEO of ESR’s data center division, said, “This development reflects ESR’s blueprint for building next-generation digital infrastructure and our expertise in designing and delivering hyperscale facilities that are efficient, sustainable, and empowering the region’s rapid digital transformation.”
KR1 is being built with a target of achieving LEED Gold certification that incorporates features such as building integrated photovoltaics and fuel cells to enhance energy efficiency. The project contributes to ESR’s broader pipeline of more than 3.2 GW of secured land and power across Asia-Pacific aimed at meeting rising demand for scalable, high-performance data center capacity.
Incheon has emerged as a key hub for digital infrastructure due to its proximity to Seoul’s technology corridor, strong fibre networks, and dependable power supply. The city hosts Songdo International Business District which is a prominent smart-city development expected to attract increasing cloud and AI workloads.