China Urges Jeju Casino Controls as Tourism Ties Grow

Jeju welcomed nearly 1.9 million visitors from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan in 2025. The Chinese consulate general now wants South Korean authorities to protect that tourism relationship by addressing casino recruitment targeting Chinese visitors.

Good to know

• The consulate wants stronger oversight of foreigner-only casinos in Jeju.
• Chinese tourists have reported gambling invitations through private social media messages.
• Mainland China remained the largest overseas visitor market through July 2026.

The consulate urged officials to “earnestly fulfil their regulatory responsibilities and strictly regulate casino operations”. It also called for an end to gambling activities targeting Chinese tourists and asked authorities to consider the long-term development of tourism and exchanges between the two countries.

Tourism Growth Meets Concerns Over Casino Recruitment

Jeju Tourism Organization figures underline the importance of those visitors. The island received 980,804 tourists from the Chinese mainland in the seven months through July 31, up 4.2% year on year.

Taiwan supplied another 196,378 visitors, an increase of 67.1%, while Japanese arrivals climbed 57.2% to 57,813. Those three markets led overseas tourism during the period.

Jeju offers visa-free entry to visitors from the Chinese mainland and several other regional markets. Meanwhile, the consulate said frequent exchanges had strengthened confidence in further tourism cooperation.

Against that background, the diplomatic mission raised complaints about how agents approach visitors.

According to the consulate, people it described as “unlicensed agents” have used Chinese social media platforms to send private invitations encouraging tourists to gamble at foreigner-only casinos in Jeju.

The mission said it had received repeated reports and complaints about the practice. Its warning focused on recruitment through those messages, alongside a broader demand for tighter casino oversight.

Consulate Repeats Position on Overseas Gambling Recruitment

The consulate reiterated a “zero-tolerance” stance toward efforts to solicit or organize Chinese citizens to gamble abroad. It said such activity constitutes a crime under Chinese law.

A spokesperson issued the statement, which local news outlet Jemin Ilbo published in Korean. The consulate also posted a Chinese version on its website.

The mission connected its regulatory demands to preserving the reputation of Jeju as a tourism destination and supporting continued exchanges with China.

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