The venue was closed several times during the year. The first closure was from 23 February to 20 July, the second took place from 21 August to 12 October. And the latest temporary shutdown was announced on 8 December 2020, as South Korea increased its national alert level due to the growing number of COVID-19 cases. The closure was extended a few times, with the latest date set for 14 February.
Kangwon Land had to place approximately half its 3,700 employees on mandatory leave. Resports suggest that initially, it was unpaid leave, but the company later agreed to a form of reduced pay, offering the employees 70% of monthly base salary as “urgent livelihood support”. The reduced pay system was supposed to run until 1 February, but it was continued in accordance with the closure extensions.
During the temporary shutdown, South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism renewed the casino’s operational licence for three more years, from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2023. The licence will follow the same terms as the old one: the casino will run for 20 hours a day; the gaming floors will have 180 gaming tables (seven of them digital). The licence also allows the casino to have 169 slot machines and 1,191 other electronic games.
