Yeongjong casino decision suddenly delayed

By Do Je-hae

A final decision by the government on a proposed mega resort-casino construction project near Seoul was suddenly delayed Thursday.

This forces international bidders to wait longer for approval to build a 4-trillion-won casino complex on Yeongjong Island, Incheon.

The bidders include a consortium of U.S. casino operator Caesars Entertainment and Indonesian conglomerate the Lippo Group.

In a highly unusual move, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism called off a press conference scheduled for Thursday afternoon at the last minute, sending text messages to reporters Thursday morning about the cancellation.

If approved, the mega-sized casino resort on Yeongjong Island near Incheon International Airport will be the first of its kind in Korea.

The director-general of the tourism bureau, Kim Ki-hong, was scheduled to talk to the press about the venture at the central government complex in Seoul. Kim was unavailable for a phone interview, but Ahn Shin-young, head of the tourism development planning division, said there will be a briefing early next month to announce its final decision.

"The delay is due to some procedures that we need to check with the bidders. All I can confirm at this point is that we will reschedule a briefing next month to announce our decision," Ahn said. The new date of the briefing is expected to be March 3.

Incheon Mayor Song Yong-gil was going to provide his reaction about the ministry’s plan in a press conference late Thursday afternoon. But that has also been delayed.

"We don’t know if the mayor will reschedule a briefing, but it all depends on what the ministry will say next month," an official with the Incheon mayor’s press office said.

The ambitious project suffered a setback in June when the ministry rejected it, saying that the joint venture failed to meet the qualifications related to credit ratings.

To be completed by 2022, the casino complex will include 100 gambling tables, 150 slot machines, in addition to 600 hotel rooms and entertainment, retail and residential space.