China Urges South Korea to Halt Casino Promotion Targeting Chinese Tourists
Dragon Media News Desk
The Chinese Embassy in South Korea has rejected media narratives portraying Chinese tourists as a primary source of growth for the country’s casino industry, urging Seoul to strengthen regulatory oversight and stop gambling-related marketing aimed at Chinese visitors.
Tang Liang, counsellor responsible for consular affairs at the Chinese Embassy, criticised proposals that South Korean casinos should make returning Chinese tourists their central growth engine and treat them as the gambling industry’s main clientele.
In an article published by The Korea Times and later highlighted by the embassy on its official WeChat account, Tang said such an approach was deeply troubling and required serious reconsideration.
The article examined the social damage caused by gambling, outlined the anti-gambling laws and policies of China and South Korea, and called on South Korean authorities to regulate casino operations in the broader interest of China–South Korea friendship.
The embassy noted that both countries maintain legal and policy restrictions on gambling. South Korean citizens are barred from entering most casinos in their own country, while China follows a zero-tolerance policy toward gambling and prohibits its citizens from participating in gambling activities overseas.
Against this legal background, it is highly inappropriate for South Korean casinos to conduct targeted advertising and customer recruitment among foreign nationals, particularly Chinese tourists, the embassy said.
Such activities are detrimental to people-to-people exchanges and provide no constructive contribution to bilateral relations, it added.
The embassy said the Chinese and South Korean governments have maintained close cooperation in combating cross-border gambling. It stressed that the casino industry should not be regarded as part of healthy and constructive exchanges between the peoples of the two countries.
Referring to serious gambling-related incidents involving Chinese citizens in South Korea, the article said such cases had caused profound social and human harm.
Gambling-related problems can undermine the legitimate rights, personal safety and property of Chinese citizens, disrupt South Korea’s tourism market and damage the country’s international image, according to the embassy.
China and South Korea are important close neighbours. Visa facilitation measures introduced by both sides to promote travel and tourism serve their fundamental interests and contribute to greater mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.
However, attempting to profit from foreign tourists through the gambling industry is harmful and short-sighted, the article said, warning that it could gradually weaken friendly public sentiment between the two countries.
China said it would strengthen awareness and education among citizens travelling abroad, encouraging them to exercise self-discipline and comply with laws prohibiting gambling.
The Chinese Embassy also called on the South Korean government to fulfil its regulatory responsibilities, strengthen oversight of tourism organisations, strictly standardise casino operations and put an end to gambling solicitation targeting Chinese tourists.
