The Daejeon High Court's Cheongju branch has rejected an appeal by Enford Hotel, which sought to open a foreigner-only casino. Details of the court's reasoning have not been disclosed.
The operator, formerly known as Grand Plaza Cheongju Hotel, applied on 22 May 2024 to convert 3,188 square metres of retail space on the second floor and 688 square metres on the third floor into entertainment facilities for the casino project. Cheongju municipality turned down the application after reviews by 18 city departments and three external agencies, citing conflict with the district plan and failure to meet approval criteria under the Tourism Promotion Act.
The Cheongju Office of Education also opposed the project. The hotel sits within a 200-metre relative education protection zone, with seven schools enrolling 5,319 students within a 550-metre radius. The first-instance court dismissed the operator's case in May 2025, referencing a 2024 legislative amendment that added casinos to the list of restricted facilities near schools. A favourable ruling would not have provided the hotel with any legal benefit.
In its appeal, the operator argued that projects in relative protection zones may seek exemption through the regional education environment protection committee and that it had not been given that opportunity. The appellate court rejected the argument.
