Yongsan residents decry horseracing betting center

By Kim Jae-won

The Korea Racing Authority (KRA)’s plan to open an 18-story horse racing betting center a few blocks away from a girls’ high school in Yongsan, central Seoul is drawing strong criticism from the school, its students and parents, who worry that gamblers may threaten the safety of school girls.

The KRA seeks to launch the center in October, where up to 2,100 gamblers can bet their money by watching horse racing through oversized TV monitors. The building is under construction, 215 meters away from Sacred Heart Girls’ Middle and High Schools.

Sung Baek-young, vice principal of Sacred Heart Girls’ High School, said that it is a matter of justice to block the center from opening in the neighborhood, not a conflict between interest groups.

“We oppose the operation of the betting center because it damages students’ education environment as well as threatens their safety. The 18-story building is located just across a broad street from our school, and most of our students pass by the building to take buses or the subway.”

The 31-year career teacher said that it is a matter of social justice, which puts 1,250 school girls’ safety at risk.

Sung also criticized the government for approving the KRA’s plan to establish the gambling center.

“The government and the KRA say that there is no problem with the gambling center because it will be set up outside the School Safety Zone, which is 200 meters within the school. However, it is ridiculous to say that it will be safe because the center is 215 meters away, just 15 meters outside the zone.”

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs gave the green light to the project in 2010 under the Lee Myung-bak administration, and the incumbent government has no plan to change it. Ironically, the Catholic Church-run school is alma mater of President Park Geun-hye.

A group of students of the schools and their parents are hosting an online campaign at Daum, an Internet portal, to oppose the establishment of the center.

The state-run KRA said that students do not need to worry too much about the betting center because it will be run from Friday to Sunday when students do not go to school often. On Fridays, the company plans to hire senior watch guards who will protect them from the gamblers.

“We also will guarantee quality of the center by increasing entrance fees. The level of customers will be better than before,” said Choi Won-il, a spokesman of the company.