Well I’m on a bus to Seoul and with about 4 hours to spare I thought I’d put together a post. This is from my phone so it might be short and I’ll likely edit it into a full blown post later.
Anyway, this evening the wife will be visiting old friends leaving me on my own in the big city. This will likely give me a chance to indulge in my primary vice, casino gambling. I’ll be the first to admit it’s far from a healthy habit, but one I trust myself to control (plus I tend not to stray far from even either wins or losses) . Casinos in Korea are quite interesting to me because they only allow foreigners, with the exception of Gangwon Land. In fact, by law, Koreans are even banned from gambling overseas although this law only comes into play when some celebrity or public figure loses massive amounts and can’t pay the debt.
Two news stories recently caught my eye (links to come),  one dealing with Yeosu where the head of the GNP recently visited and stated he would put out a measure to allow a casino to be made in Yeosu to help attract foreign tourists. Second there is some debate these days as to allowing Koreans to gamble at all national casinos.
Personally, I am for both these ideas. For Yeosu to really become a viable tourist destination, it will really need some sort of hook and a casino along with the relatively cheap golf (for Asia) could go a long way to attracting Asian convention tourism. The second point is a bit stickier situation. While it is fairly hypocritical to allow foreigners to gamble while claiming moral obligation in keeping Locals forbidden, there is an understandable fear of addiction. To save ky thumbs, I’ll give the short version of my stance that can be applied to many subjects. If something can be enjoyed by a wide majority of the population without becoming addicted and harmed, that something should be legal. This means things like gambling, alcohol, smoking and yes marijuana should be legal. While some can become addicted and harmed by these things, most can enjoy them in moderation, unlike things such as cocaine which should remain illegal. While legal, they should still be controlled and taxed to bejefit society in general and also to support help for those who are addicted. Like I said, that’s just the short version as little can really be that plain and simple when it comes to vices. Regardless, I will enjoy my time on the casino floor and win or lose, likely be back for more in the future (all in moderation).