Hiring scandal trail leads South Korea prosecutors back to Kangwon Land

South Korean prosecutors swooped down on Kangwon Land casino over the weekend and seized documents that they claimed would help pin a former official allegedly involved in a hiring scandal.

The Korea Times reported that prosecutor raided Kangwon Land – the only casino at which South Korean citizens are legally permitted to gamble – to gather evidence against a former senior tourism ministry official accused of cronyism.Aside from Kangwon Land, the prosecutors also raided some offices of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the Sejong Government Complex, as well as the homes and offices of three people.

The prosecutors only identified the ex-tourism ministry official as a certain “Kim,” who they claimed had a telephone conversation with Kangwon’s manager.

Records show that the official reportedly granted Kangwon Land’s petition for expansion in exchange for an assured employment of his four relatives in the gambling firm. The prosecutors are apparently looking for official documents with details of the 2013 expansion plan of the Kangwon Land property.