Part V: Regional & Cultural · Asia-Pacific Regional Terms

5.2 Kangwon Land

South Korea — Casino/Locals Gaming

Kangwon Land is the only casino in South Korea where South Korean citizens are legally permitted to gamble. Located in the remote highlands of Gangwon Province at the foot of the High1 Ski and Golf Resort, Kangwon Land operates both a locals-permitted casino and a foreigner-only gaming zone. The casino is the largest in South Korea by revenue, accounting for approximately half of the country’s total casino gaming revenue. Korean citizens face strict entry controls including limits on visit frequency, while the foreigner-only zone has been expanded with higher betting limits to attract international tourists.

In practice

Kangwon Land’s monopoly on local gambling was established as a social compromise to confine domestic casino gambling to a remote location. The company is investing KRW 2.5 trillion in a major expansion including a second casino and luxury hotel under the “K-HIT 1.0” initiative.

One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary — 1,157 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.