Hiring scandal dates back to 2012
A special unit of the South Korean Supreme Prosecutor’s Office reportedly raided the offices of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on March 10 following accusations that a former senior tourism official illegally granted Kangwon Land Casino permission to expand in exchange for jobs for four members of his family.
The Korea Times reported that raids also took place at the headquarters of Kangwon Land Inc. and the offices and homes of three people including the former tourism official, identified only as “Kim.” They seized documents detailing the 2013 expansion deal for the casino in eastern Gangwon Province.
Kangwon Land is the casino in South Korea that permits South Koreans to gamble. According to GGRAsia, it’s one of the most lucrative casinos in the country, reporting fourth-quarter 2017 operating profits of $73.5 million, $353.6 million in gaming revenues and $21 million in nongaming activities.
The latest incident is not the first example of alleged illegal hiring at Kangwon Land, reported Asia Gaming Brief. Earlier investigations showed that most of the 518 people hired at Kangwon Land between 2012 and 2013 had connections to political figures with influence over the casino’s management.
