Rep. Kim Su-min of Korea’s minority Bareunmirae Party has accused the cultural ministry of overlooking criminal activities taking place in the country’s casino resorts.
According to the Korea Times, Kim called out two foreigners-only casinos that violated the law between 2016 and 2018, but only received “corrective orders”―the lowest disciplinary action imposed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
At Seven Luck Casino in COEX Mall, operated by Grand Korea Leisure (GKL), an affiliate of the Korea Tourism Organization, an employee embezzled 475 million won (US$395,000) by “misappropriating” chips in collusion with a customer, and also tampering with electronic gaming machines over 469 times in six months from February 2016, reported the newspaper.
At Paradise Casino Walkerhill in Seoul, a worker colluded with a customer to misappropriate over 80 million won. That property illegally admitted Korean nations to gamble there in violation of the law, and also received corrective orders in 2017 and 2018.
Kim, the youngest legislator in Korea, said the leniency is associated with casino revenue, some of which is used for the ministry’s budget.
“While 2.2 million people are struggling with gambling addiction in Korea, the ministry has failed to come up with strict regulations against casinos but only slapped them on the wrist,” Kim said, urging the National Assembly to mandate tougher punishments.
