Residents’perception of the contribution of Integrated Resorts in abandoned mine areas to the local community

Kangwonland has continued to gradually expand facilities and grow as a four-season integrated resort since its establishment in 2000 to the present, contributing greatly to the development of the abandoned mine area, but there have been many conflicts with local residents as well. Residents of the Jeongseon area, where Kangwonland is located, were less satisfied than other cities and counties with the increase in real estate value and balanced regional development, especially the contribution to increase in fiscal revenue, confirming results that are different from previous studies. This means that local residents have become insensitive to the economic performance and regional contribution of Kangwonland, a long-lived company with over 20 years of operating know-how as a casino and integrated resort. The implications are as follows. First, it is necessary to rebrand the name 'Kangwonland' and enact the Kangwonland Act to establish its identity as an integrated resort. Second, easing regulations related to casinos is necessary for the development of the complex resort tourism industry in Korea as well as in abandoned mine areas and Gangwon State. Third, in order to be competitive as a global integrated resort, Kangwonland needs large-scale innovation in terms of openness, integration, luxury, and enlargement.