During the protest, Sung will carry the huge timber on his back as miners do, and approximately 100 victims of pneumoconiosis will follow him to request that the government withdraw its plan to allow Koreans to enter cruise casinos. (image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 27 (Korea Bizwire) – A former miner and poet will carrying a 70-kilogram mine timber in protest against the government’s plan to allow Koreans to use casinos on cruises.
The Struggling Committee against Admission to Cruise Casinos announced that it would begin an extraordinary protest on June 8 against the government’s plan to allow Koreans to enter casinos on Korean cruise ships. The protest will be carried out by its chairman, Sung Hee-jik, a former miner and poet, from the City of Taebaek to Gangwon Land Casino, the only domestic casino allowing Korean admission.
During the protest, Sung will carry the huge timber on his back as miners do, and approximately 100 victims of pneumoconiosis will follow him to request that the government withdraw its plan to allow Koreans to enter cruise casinos. It will take more than 10 days for Sung to carry the timber to the casino.
It will be the third mine timber protest from Sung, with earlier demonstrations occurring in 1993 to raise awareness about the tragic reality of abandoned mine areas, and in 2007 to ask the government to introduce welfare benefits for pneumoconiosis victims. To secure their safety in the mines, miners carried the timbers while they entered their working place.
With the protest, Sung will focus attention on the importance of Gangwon Land for former miners in abandoned mining areas. The Korean government set up the only casino allowing Koreans to enter in support of the development of abandoned mine areas. The former miners worry about the reduced support if Gangwon Land loses its guests to cruise casinos.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) announced various measures to boost Korea’s cruise industry, including allowing Koreans to use cruise casinos. To boost the industry, the MOF argues that casino admission is essential, as casino takes up to 15% for total cruise profits. However, the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism frowns upon the scheme as it could encourage gambling.
Sung, 58, was a miner in his early thirties and considering his age, it was thought that he was unlikely to carry out his protests any longer. However, with his demonstration, he plans to put an end to the controversy over Korean casinos.
“By embodying a miner, who carries a mine timber on a hot asphalt road, I’d like to show Koreans how hard and desperate it was for miners to do their jobs several kilometers under the surface. With this image, I will raise awareness about the cruise casino admission controversy,” he said.
By John Choi (johnchoi@koreabizwire.com)
