SOUTH KOREA: Kinoton has completed the renewal of Seoul’s COEX K-POP Square, replacing the existing outdoor LED display with a 1,616m² Unilumin Usurface III 6 Pro system. The 12K display, commissioned by CJ CGV, combines commercial digital signage with cultural content and incorporates processing from Analog Way and NovaStar.

Located in Samseong-dong, Gangnam, the screen occupies a prominent position above K-POP Square, near the COEX convention and exhibition complex. The location attracts commuters, shoppers, tourists and visitors to the surrounding business and entertainment district. Its large, curved facade has become a recognisable feature of Seoul’s digital landscape.

Kinoton was responsible for supplying and installing the replacement system, removing the previous display, structural design and project coordination. Measuring 81.4m x 20.1m, the Unilumin screen has a resolution of 12,060 x 3,015 pixels, a 6.67mm pixel pitch and a brightness of 12,000cd/m². According to Kinoton, the finer pixel pitch, compared with the previous screen’s 10mm specification, provides greater image detail, while the 15,360Hz refresh rate supports smooth image reproduction. A curved section engineered to a 2.29m radius accommodates the display’s geometry, helping minimise distortion when presenting 3D and anamorphic content.

The display comprises 2,156 LED cabinets, with processing and control configured to support continuous operation. Two Analog Way Aquilon C+ processors form the primary and backup configuration, alongside NovaStar H15 Enhanced, VX600 and MX6000 Pro equipment. In addition, an accompanying JBL audio system with Crown amplification provides sound reinforcement for events requiring audio.

According to Kinoton’s Brooke Lee, who was primarily responsible for the K-POP Square project, system stability was a key consideration in the processing architecture. “From the outset, stability and sustainability were key priorities for the installation, as there can be no black screen and it has to operate 18 hours a day, 365 days a year,” she explained. “Due to this, the client wanted a backup system so that if one system failed, another would be ready to take over. Therefore, we chose both the Analog Way and NovaStar processing to ensure 100% redundancy.”

Added Felix Chang, Analog Way’s country manager for Korea and Japan: “The lead time was a key consideration, as the installation required a rapid turnaround. “Two identical Analog Way units were supplied for the project, one configured as the primary processor and the other as backup. These were not off-the-shelf models but custom configurations developed to meet the specific requirements of the LED display and its wider processing system. Delivering the units within the required timeframe was therefore critical. We had approximately three weeks to meet the deadline.”

The Aquilon C+ was selected to manage the display’s large canvas and multiple input sources. Each unit supports up to 24 4K60 inputs, 20 4K60 outputs and 24 True 4K scaling layers. Built-in Genlock frame synchronisation and EDID management help maintain consistent output when integrating sources with different resolutions and refresh rates.

Kinoton used the Analog Way Web RCS Emulator to preconfigure and test the system remotely before installation, reducing onsite setup time by more than 50% and helping the team meet a compressed schedule at a site above a busy pedestrian area.

Beyond commercial advertising, the display also presents digital art, including Western Flag (Spindletop, Texas) 2017 by Irish artist John Gerrard. The work depicts a plume of black smoke rising from an oil field in Texas, highlighting the environmental impact of fossil fuel extraction.

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