South Korean opposition lawmakers questioned the selection of Kim Do-gyun as chief executive of Kangwon Land during a parliamentary audit, focusing on his lack of casino and tourism-industry experience and his recent political background. The discussion took place before the National Assembly committee overseeing trade and industry, according to Yonhap News Agency.
People Power Party lawmaker Cho Ji-yeon said the recruitment notice called for extensive integrated-resort and tourism expertise, yet Kim received 96.25 points in the document review and 93.25 in the interview. Cho asked the company to submit the evaluation records for all candidates. Other opposition members raised questions about political neutrality and the professional backgrounds of the wider leadership team.
Kim, a former army commander and former head of the Democratic Party's Gangwon provincial organization, said he was doing his utmost as chief executive and would continue to do so. Inside Asian Gaming notes that the company is a government-linked resort operator and runs South Korea's only casino open to local residents.
The company's board has defended its choice. As reported by BizHankook, it cited Kim's experience managing large organizations, understanding of Gangwon's political and economic environment, and ability to coordinate with public stakeholders. The parliamentary criticism is a documented political dispute over qualifications, not a finding that the appointment process violated the law.
