South Korea: Kangwon Land announces further suspensions

Kangwon Land will remain closed until 11 May due to the Covid-19 pandemic

Kangwon Land, a state-owned resort in Gangwon, is located in a remote upland area 90 miles from the capital and is the only casino in South Korea that allows locals to gamble.

This came after several extension for its closure was announced from 23 February.  In total, Kangwon Land has suspended its operations for 11 weeks.

The property’s renowned Water World Theme Park will remain closed as well as its hotel, condominiums and ski resort. The closure of its casino and facilities is expected to record a loss of US$300 million or more.

Korea Tourism Organisation affiliate Grand Korea Leisure, which operates 3 foreigner-only casinos under the Seven Luck brand suspended its operations on 24 March and is set to re-open on 6 May. Paradise Co Ltd, another foreigner-only casino has opened its facility in Jeju Island followed by sites in Seoul, Incheon and Busan.

This is only the second time Kangwon Land was closed to the public. In 2012, the property closed for 24 hours following a security breach. It was reported that 2 employees allegedly connived with a third party to install a hidden camera inside the shoe at one of its baccarat tables. The police arrested the 2 employees after collecting evidence which included the camera installed in the shoe.

To date, South Korea has more than 10,000 COVID-19 cases with 9,000 recoveries. The country is one of the first in Asia to conduct COVID-19 mass testing and has successfully reduced infection rates to 10% from its peak.

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