Abandoned mine residents say, “Survival crisis in Kangwon Land… The shackles of old regulations must be lifted.”

As competition in the Asian casino market intensifies, including the opening of a casino in Osaka, Japan in 2030, residents of the Gangwon coal industry conversion area (abandoned mine site) have argued that various regulations should be abolished for Gangwon Land's survival.

The Gohan, Sabuk, Nammyeon, and Shindong Regional Revitalization Joint Promotion Committee issued a statement on the 9th, saying, “In an era of global competition, the sales cap system that shackles only domestic companies is tantamount to self-harm,” and urged, “The anachronistic sales cap system must be immediately abolished or significantly increased.”

The Public Safety and Security Commission pointed out, “Restrictions on the number of days of entry and various business regulations are already standards of the past,” and “We must face the reality that people are diverted by uncontrollable online gambling and overseas ledger gambling.”

He continued, “The surest way to prevent massive losses to the national treasury flowing into the illegal gambling market and protect the people’s property is to increase the competitiveness of legal casinos to absorb domestic demand.”

The Public Policy Committee also pointed out, “The multiple layers of regulations wielded by each ministry, including the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Gambling Industry Integrated Supervision Committee, each with their own standards, are always holding back the leap forward into integrated resorts and investment in new businesses.”

He said, "The government should immediately stop selfishness and unnecessary interference between ministries and provide full support and regulatory special treatment so that Kangwon Land can leap forward into a global base with annual sales of 5 trillion won through bold preemptive investment."

The public cold committee expressed concern, saying, "By 2030, when the Osaka Casino opens, the leadership in Asian tourism and casinos will have completely passed over, and Kangwon Land will inevitably suffer an irreparable blow. If we ignore change by hiding behind the barbed wire of old regulations, we will be making a huge mistake that will not only lead to the fall of Kangwon Land but also turn off the growth engine of the coal industry transition area."