Mohegan ― Dozens of Mohegan tribal leaders, including U.S. Treasurer Lynn Malerba, the tribe’s ceremonial chief, will attend next month’s official grand opening of Inspire, the tribe’s nearly $1.7 billion resort in Incheon, South Korea.

A ribbon cutting and a private reception for 800 invited guests are scheduled to take place at the resort March 5, which James Gessner Jr., the tribal chairman, noted Wednesday is two days before the 30th anniversary of the Mohegans’ March 7, 1994, federal recognition.

“It’s a little ironic,” Gessner said. “We’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished.”

The nine members of the Mohegan Tribal Council and the seven members of the tribe’s Council of Elders will fly nonstop to Incheon from New York City and Boston airports. The tribal contingent also will include members of a performing drum group and other officials.

Casino executives with Mohegan, the tribe’s gaming and entertainment company, are traveling as well.

Flying time is about 15½ hours, Gessner said.

Malerba was appointed U.S. treasurer by President Joe Biden in 2022. The first Native American to hold the office, she is a former tribal chairwoman.

Portions of Inspire opened to the public Nov. 30, 2023, and a foreigners-only casino opened there Feb. 3 once the South Korean government had granted a five-star rating for the resort’s three hotel towers. Eight years in the making, the resort includes a 15,000-seat arena, an indoor water park and the country’s largest hotel ballroom.

Other Inspire amenities, including an outdoor entertainment park, are scheduled to open by mid-2024.

“It’s a tiny bit smaller than Mohegan Sun,” Gessner said, comparing Inspire to Mohegan’s flagship casino in Uncasville. “What’s interesting is that Mohegan Sun is 80% casino and 20% nongaming, while Inspire is 20% casino and 80% everything else ― entertainment, retail, restaurants.”

Gessner, who has made about a dozen trips to South Korea, traveled there for Inspire’s Nov. 30 “soft” opening. He said the resort hosted a ballroom event for 800 people soon after the opening and days later hosted a nationally televised music awards show ― the Korean equivalent of the Grammys ― that attracted an arena crowd of more than 12,000 people.

Both events came off “flawlessly,” Gessner said.

South Korean government officials, including the prime minister, have been invited to attend the private event March 5.

Gessner has some experience with international affairs, having attended a state dinner at the White House last April at which President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden hosted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Mohegan has announced that in connection with Inspire’s grand opening, Maroon 5, the American pop-rock band, will perform March 8 and 9 in the new resort’s arena. A concert featuring K-pop artists is scheduled for March 2, and an international table tennis competition is set for March 27-31.

Company executives provided gaming analysts and investors with a glimpse of Inspire during a quarterly conference call last week, screening a brief video of scenes from the resort.

“You have to see it to believe it,” Ray Pineault, Mohegan’s president and chief executive officer, said.

b.hallenbeck@theday.com