Around 400 Staff at Jeju Dream Tower Begin Strike Over Rest Times and Pay

Around 400 employees at the Jeju Dream Tower foreigner-only casino began a strike at 07:00 on Monday 28 September 2026 after wage and collective bargaining talks stalled, the Korean Service Workers’ Union said. The Jeju autonomous government told GGRAsia the stoppage was scheduled to run until 07:00 on Saturday 3 October, while the casino continued operating with a reduced number of gaming tables.

Strike timeline and scale at Jeju Dream Tower

The current strike followed a two-day partial stoppage on 18–19 September that involved about 300 employees, according to the union, which represents some of the strikers. The union branch at Jeju Dream Tower and management entered the renewed industrial action after they failed to narrow differences in negotiations over wages and working conditions, the Jeju government said.

Jeju Dream Tower Casino had a workforce of 1,175 employees as of April 2026, South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism data shows. The union estimates roughly 400 of those staff are participating in the walkout that began on 28 September.

Dispute points: rest times, pay and promotion rules

The union told the Jeju government that dealers typically work 80-minute shifts with 20-minute breaks and that some dealers can be on duty for 120 minutes continuously. The union said it can take dealers 10 minutes to reach staff rest areas from their stations; it is seeking a change to 60-minute shifts.

Alongside the shift-length demand, the union is pressing for a formal performance-bonus system, higher starting salaries for new hires, and alterations to promotion and compensation arrangements. The union framed the strike as a response to working conditions and compensation not improving in step with the casino’s business expansion.

Management response and operational impact

Jeju Dream Tower management, operated by Lotte Tour Development Co Ltd, confirmed to GGRAsia that a strike had commenced among some staff but disputed the union’s account of the reasons for the action. In a statement sent to GGRAsia the company defended the 80-minute shift system as an international industry practice used in the Macau and Singapore casino markets and said operations remained normal despite the strike.

The Jeju autonomous government reported the casino stayed open during the stoppage but ran with fewer gaming tables in operation. The government provided the schedule for the action — starting 07:00 on 28 September and running until 07:00 on 3 October — in response to a text enquiry from GGRAsia.

Background: workforce and previous partial stoppage

The union that organised both the partial stoppage in mid-September and the larger action is the Jeju Dream Tower Casino branch of the Korean Service Workers’ Union. That union is affiliated to the Korean Federation of Trade Unions. Management and the union had engaged in collective bargaining prior to the walkouts but failed to reach agreement on the package of changes the union seeks.

GGRAsia contacted Jeju Dream Tower management for comment; the casino declined the union’s characterisation of the dispute in written remarks and reiterated its claim that the 80-minute shift pattern aligns with common practice in larger Asian casino jurisdictions.

What the union is asking and the government’s role

The union’s demands are precisely framed around shift structure and pay mechanisms:

• move from 80-minute shifts with 20-minute breaks to 60-minute shifts;

• introduction of a formal performance-bonus system;

• higher entry salaries for new employees;

• changes to promotion and compensation arrangements tied to the casino’s expansion.

The union also urged the Jeju autonomous government to assess how the resort’s expansion affects staffing levels, workloads and working conditions as the casino adds gaming tables and equipment. The government has acted as an interlocutor for basic information about the strike timetable and operational status but has not announced a mediation outcome.

Wider context for employers and suppliers

Operators and platform vendors tracking labour relations in Asian gaming markets will note management’s explicit defence that the 80-minute shift is an international practice used in Macau and Singapore. Labour disputes of this scale—roughly a third of the casino’s April 2026 headcount—can affect floor operations and customer experience, even when the venue remains open. Industry observers looking at this episode may reference reporting on employment practices in other jurisdictions and the role of unions affiliated to the Korean Federation of Trade Unions.

What to watch next

Key near-term indicators are whether the union extends the action beyond 3 October, whether management revises its position on shift lengths, and whether the Jeju autonomous government or a third-party mediator intervenes. Operators and B2B suppliers should monitor table counts and floor staffing to assess commercial impact.

For coverage of how casino labour disputes interact with regulatory oversight, see related reporting on regulation and operational impacts in the casino sector.

"The strike is not simply about higher wages," the union said in a statement it shared with the Jeju government, adding the action reflected concern that working conditions and compensation had not kept pace with the casino's expansion.

The parties have not published a schedule for resumed bargaining or a timeframe for potential mediation. GGRAsia will report further developments if either side announces new talks or concessions.