Draken () is a

dive coaster The Dive Coaster is a steel roller coaster model developed and engineered by Bolliger & Mabillard. The design features one or more near-vertical drops that are approximately 90 degrees, which provide a moment of free-falling for passengers. T ...

manufactured by

Bolliger & Mabillard Bolliger & Mabillard, officially Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers, Inc. and often abbreviated B&M, is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by engineers Walter Bolliger and Cl ...

Gyeongju World Gyeongju World () is a theme park in Gyeongju Gyeongju (, ), historically known as Seorabeol (, ), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the prov ...

, South Korea. Draken opened on May 1, 2018. Draken is the first dive coaster and the first rollercoaster in South Korea to feature a 90-degree drop. As of October 2023, it is the tallest and fastest roller coaster in South Korea, and it is tied for the steepest roller coaster in South Korea with Giant Digger. Draken has the fourth most inversions in a South Korean rollercoaster and is also the fourth steepest roller coaster in Asia.

History

Draken had been planned since 2017. It was first formally announced by Gyeongju World to the public on their official

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

account on April 19, 2018, where they posted a test run video of the coaster. It was the sixth dive coaster with a drop of 90 degrees. Gyeongju World announced in their post that Draken was set to open to the public in May the same year. Draken opened to the public on May 1, 2018. Draken costed 25 billion Korean won to construct, and it was built by Bolliger & Mabillard, a Swiss rollercoaster manufacturer.

Characteristics

After the ride exits the station, Draken climbs up its initial

lift hill A lift hill, or chain hill, is an upward-sloping section of track on a roller coaster on which the roller coaster train is mechanically lifted to an elevated point or peak in the track. Upon reaching the peak, the train is then propelled from t ...

. It then curves to the right and falls to the ground. It then goes on an Immelmann inversion, then goes up another hill while curving to the left, then drops to the ground. After a brief tunnel section, Draken goes on another Immelmann inversion, then a small

airtime hill Roller coasters are widely known for their drops, inversions, airtime (rides), airtime, and other intense ride elements that contribute to the ride. They are also made up of a variety of features and components responsible for the mechanical opera ...

on a water area with a splash effect. It then turns left, goes up and returns to its station. Draken's layout largely copies that of Griffon at

Busch Gardens Williamsburg Busch Gardens Williamsburg (formerly Busch Gardens Europe and Busch Gardens: The Old Country) is a amusement park in James City County near Williamsburg, Virginia, United States, located approximately northwest of Virginia Beach. The park w ...

. Draken has 3 cars per train with 8 passengers per car and therefore can take up to 24 passengers per run. Draken is the first rollercoaster in South Korea to feature a 90-degree drop as well as the first dive coaster in South Korea. It is the tallest and fastest roller coaster in South Korea at tall with a speed of . Draken is also the steepest roller coaster in South Korea, tied with Giant Splash in Lotte World Adventure Busan and the fourth steepest in Asia. Draken is situated in an area of the park known as Draken Valley, which was developed 5 years prior to the coaster's opening. Draken Valley's theme was inspired by Norse mythology, with visitors being introduced to the storyline of Peter, a hero who needs to collect treasures based on four different elements and a ring to defeat the dark forces of

Fenrir Fenrir (Old Norse 'fen-dweller')Orchard (1997:42). or Fenrisúlfr (Old Norse "Fenrir's wolf", often translated "Fenris-wolf"),Simek (2007:81). also referred to as Hróðvitnir (Old Norse "fame-wolf")Simek (2007:160). and Vánagandr (Old Nors ...

References

{{Roller coasters in South Korea Roller coasters in South Korea Dive Coasters manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard