Previous Story
Tinian gaming commission probes Korean casino bid
|
Posted on Aug 21 2008
TINIAN—A team of officials with the Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission are now in Seoul to investigate a Korean company that recently unveiled plans to build a multi-million dollar casino on the island.
In an interview Thursday, Donald Hofschnieder, the commission’s acting director, said six commission staff members and two researchers are on an “investigative trip” in Seoul now to meet with officials of the Neo Gold Wings Paradise Saipan Corp., gain insight into the company’s finances, and review plans for the $200 million resort it has proposed to construct.
Commission officials said in an Aug. 8 statement the corporation has submitted the license application and paid all the required fees for the project, which calls for building a $200 million resort, including a 1,000-room hotel, a casino, a water park, and a golf course. The ongoing financial review, the next step in the licensing process, could determine whether the project moves forward.
Principal shareholders in the corporation include its chairman and president, Myung In Hyun, and Kwi Dong Woo, its Saipan chairman. Corporate officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The application marks the latest new tourism project taking shape on Tinian. Early construction has already begun on the Tinian Oceanview Resort and Condominiums, a project by the Bridge Investment Group. Meanwhile, the Marianas Resort Development Co. on Aug. 15 presented the futuristic design for a major 405-room hotel and resort it plans to build.
