[Edaily Kang Gyeong-rok Travel Reporter] An expert on North Korea policy who led high-level military talks between the two Koreas is set to oversee a 3 trillion won integrated resort conversion project. The person in question is Kim Do-kyun, former commander of the Army’s Capital Defense Command (61, pictured). Once he takes office following the president’s final appointment, the vacancy in the position of CEO at Gangwon Land—which has lasted for over two years and eight months—will also come to an end.

Gangwon Land held its 34th Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders on the 26th at the High1 Palace Hotel in Jeongseon County, Gangwon Province, and passed a resolution to appoint former Commander Kim as CEO. Candidate Kim will officially take office as CEO following a nomination by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy—the competent ministry—and presidential appointment. His term will be three years from the date of appointment.
Born in 1965, Kim is a native of Sokcho, Gangwon Province, and is a graduate of the 44th class of the Korea Military Academy. After majoring in chemistry at the Korea Military Academy, he earned a master’s degree in international politics from Korea University and completed a doctoral program in diplomacy and security studies at Kyonggi University.
During his military career spanning over 30 years, he developed expertise in North Korea and defense policy. He served as Director of the North Korea Policy Division at the Ministry of National Defense, Secretary for Defense Reform at the Office of National Security under the Blue House, and Director of North Korea Policy at the Ministry of National Defense. He served as the South’s chief delegate in inter-Korean general-level military talks and played a key role in the process leading to the signing of the September 19, 2018, Inter-Korean Military Agreement. He was promoted to lieutenant general in 2020 and served as Commander of the Capital Defense Command, responsible for the defense of the capital, Seoul, before retiring in 2022.
Since his retirement, he has continued his activities in the fields of defense and national security within the political sphere. He joined the Democratic Party of Korea in 2023 and served as the party’s Central Committee spokesperson on defense and national security.
It is unusual for Candidate Kim, who has built his career in the fields of security and the military, to take on the management of a public enterprise in the tourism and casino sectors. He has no prior experience working in the tourism or casino industries. In June, when rumors of Kim’s nomination first surfaced, the Kangwon Land labor union publicly opposed the appointment, citing his lack of expertise in the tourism and casino sectors. On the other hand, the key question is whether he can translate his experience leading large-scale organizations and coordinating policies in the military and government into successful corporate management.
If Candidate Kim is ultimately appointed, it will bring an end to Gangwon Land’s prolonged leadership vacuum. Since former President Lee Sam-geol stepped down in December 2023, Gangwon Land has been operating under an acting CEO system. The new president faces the challenge of getting the investments and business restructuring—which have been pursued amid this prolonged leadership vacuum—back on track.
The biggest test will be the “K-HIT Project,” the company’s medium- to long-term growth strategy. Gangwon Land is pursuing a transition to an integrated resort by investing approximately 3 trillion won by 2035 to enhance the casino’s competitiveness while expanding non-casino offerings such as hotels, performances, and wellness facilities. The key is to broaden its business structure—currently heavily weighted toward casinos—to encompass the broader tourism and leisure sectors.
Another challenge he must address is the public enterprise’s role in revitalizing the economy of former mining regions. He must simultaneously manage large-scale investments, improve profitability, contribute to the local economy, and uphold the public responsibility expected of the casino industry. For Mr. Kim, who has served in military organizations responsible for inter-Korean military negotiations and the defense of the capital, Seoul, this marks the opening of an entirely new arena for management. His first test will be to demonstrate the management achievements of Gangwon Land through the organizational management and policy coordination experience he has accumulated over more than 30 years.