Kangwon land ordered to pay up to $6,750 to victims of labor misconduct

The firm unlawfully employed hundreds of people through political and internal ties, culminating in ex-CEO, Choi Hung-jib, being sentenced to three years in prison

A Korean court has ordered Kangwon Land to pay compensation ranging from KRW3 million (US$2,500) to KRW8 million (US$6,750) to each of the 21 petitioners who were victims of labor misconduct in 2012 and 2013.

Between November 2012 and April 2013, Kangwon Land, the only Korean casino where residents are permitted to gamble, unlawfully hired hundreds of employees through political and internal ties, culminating in the company’s then-CEO, Choi Hung-jib, being sentenced to three years in prison.

President Moon Jae-in of South Korea has ordered the dismissal of 226 Kangwon Land workers who were hired due to political links to the previous administration.

Back in 2017, Choi Suk, spokesman for the Justice Party said: “This is an unimaginable corruption scandal involving a state-run company, which is funded by taxpayer money. Kwon belonged to an Assembly committee that is supposed to oversee the company until early 2012. Other applicants didn’t have the same chances of success … prosecutors should reopen the case to reveal the whole truth.”

The judgment concerned 21 candidates who were unable to work in Gangwon Paradise as a result of the incident, according to “YTN Korea.”

Choi Hung-jin was convicted in January of this year and was then appealed two months ago. However, he was eventually convicted of a crime by the Chuncheon District Court’s second criminal division for “instructing officials to modify work assessment to ensure that “a connected candidate will be employed in a position in Gamngwon Paradise.”

Kweon Seong-dong and Yeom Dong-yeol, two senior members of South Korea’s opposition Free Korea Party, were charged in July 2018 for their roles in a significant corruption scandal that happened between November 2012 and April 2013. According to reports, the two altered interview results to allow the selected candidates to pass, impacting intern recruitment.

In September 2019, Gangwon Paradise released a statement acknowledging that during 2012 and 2013, 518 employees were hired, with 493 (about 95 percent) of those hired owing to ties with various “influential persons.”

In 2015, corruption was uncovered for the first time. According to YTN Korea, Jiangyuan Park’s actions harmed up to 800 of the 4000 job hopefuls at the time.

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