Kangwon Land has officially stated its opposition to the establishment of a new locals-permitted casino in the Saemangeum region, Business Korea reports.
The operator pointed out the abandoned mine area in the Gangwon Province and Saemangeum had distinct differences.
“The Kangwon Land Casino was inevitable for the livelihood of more than 300,000 people in the region who lost their jobs as a result of the government-led restructuring of the mining industry,” it explained, adding, “Although the Saemangeum Project is drifting now, a casino in the region cannot be justified in that it entails huge detrimental and intangible effects and the original purpose of the project is farmland supply.”
“This issue has a complete lack of national consensus and policy demand and current attempts to build a casino in the region are not that different from those of some local governments and interest groups that tried in the past to do so in a populist way,” it added.
This is the first time that Kangwon Land made an official statement on the issue of a casino in a region other than the province.
Last week, South Korea’s People’s Party announced they were seeking to submit a revision bill that would pave the way for a second casino allowing Korean nationals to gamble.
Rep. Kim Kwan-young of the People's Party said he has already got the agreement from fellow lawmakers representing North Jeolla Province, including Chung Dong-young, who belongs to the National Assembly Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee.
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