Guestbook

test008

If the environment and culture of horse racing are improved so that horse racing can be enjoyed as a leisure activity, and the horse racing industry is revitalized through this, the horse industry will also become more active. I believe that revitalizing the horse industry can also provide great benefits to our society.First of all, I think it would be wonderful if the next government would listen to the demands of horse racing fans and reflect them in legislation. Many people, including horse racing fans, signed it,

test008

Currently, the payout rate of horse racing in our country is 73%, which is far too low compared with the OECD average. Even in Japan, it becomes 75.1%, and in Hong Kong, 78.1%. In countries like the United Kingdom or Australia, it reaches as high as 89%. Our country takes too many taxes off people. On top of that, there are many horse racing taxes, including a 100% increase in entrance fees, double taxation at more than 100 times the rate, and refunds exceeding 2 million won. So the content is that horse racing taxes should be reduced.

test008

Horse racing is a sport that can be fully enjoyed as a leisure activity. The reason for organizing this gathering today is to improve the negative image of horse racing, which is perceived by people as gambling despite being fully enjoyable as a leisure activity. In addition, it is to create a public forum to discuss tax issues unfavorable to us horse racing fans and the reintroduction of online betting ticket sales. I stopped online betting ticket sales around 2009, and I thought that such a public discussion platform might be necessary to bring online sales back into practice.

TEST008

As the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries pushes to allow domestic nationals to use cruise ship casinos, it is expected to have a considerable impact on the domestic legal gambling industry as well.In particular, the horse racing industry, whose revenue has been declining under the weight of negative public perception and the government’s strict regulations, which have drained its growth momentum and are being overtaken by the growth of competing gambling businesses such as sports toto, lotteries, and casinos, is highly likely to take a direct hit.Because cruise ship casinos allow customers to stay overnight for at least three days while accessing them, the outflow of horse racing customers is expected to be inevitable.

TEST008

As the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries pushes to allow domestic nationals to use cruise ship casinos, it is expected to have a considerable impact on the domestic legal gambling industry as well.In particular, the horse racing industry, whose revenue has been declining under the weight of negative public perception and the government’s strict regulations, which have drained its growth momentum and are being overtaken by the growth of competing gambling businesses such as sports toto, lotteries, and casinos, is highly likely to take a direct hit.Because cruise ship casinos allow customers to stay overnight for at least three days while accessing them, the outflow of horse racing customers is expected to be inevitable.

test008

Just because it’s called a riding horse doesn’t mean you expect it to be at the level of what equestrian athletes ride; it’s meant to be comfortable to ride. Six months is enough. Six months can be long, or it can be short. I think if you focus on the process, it could be done in three or four months.In the case of Hallama, it is currently 4 to 500 million won per bird. After three to four months of training, the price rises to as high as 8 to 9 million won. It is the value of a trained horse. As long as the training system works properly, it doesn’t suffer any loss.

TEST008

Minister Yoo Ki-joon emphasized, “Since each cruise tourist spends about $1,000, it has added value comparable to processing 10 containers.” If 3 million people use it, it would generate an economic ripple effect of more than 3 trillion won annually. Moreover, if domestic residents are allowed access to shipboard casinos, the economic effect is estimated to exceed 4 trillion won.There are also considerable voices of criticism against the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ push to allow domestic residents to use onboard casinos.Since 2013, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has designated the promotion of the cruise and marina industries as a key task for the ministry, and has shown a particularly strong obsession with onboard open casinos.

test008

Build part of the horse there so that Jeju horses can enter, be trained, receive training on the main course, and then come.For farms that lack well-equipped facilities, the Jeju Horse Producers Association has independently secured a certain amount of provincial funds to operate the Seongeup Breeding Center. We are renovating the facilities. Although a mid- to long-term roadmap has been established, infrastructure is necessary for the hiring criteria based on the process to be implemented.

TEST008

Following the keynote presentations, a panel discussion involving experts from various fields was held, where a wide range of opinions were put forward on preventing the spread of illegal gambling in Korea.Park Sung-ki, Secretary General of the Integrated Supervision Commission on Gambling, who took the floor as the first discussant, briefly introduced the background, definition, and role of the commission, and said, “Although the commission was created at its inception to eradicate illegal gambling games, during its development it was not recognized as having enforcement authority, so it ended up focusing less on cracking down on illegal gambling and more on imposing institutional regulation on the legal aspects.” Also, “A task force for cracking down on illegal gambling is scheduled to be formed soon within the Disciplinary Committee, and I am grateful that the National Assembly created this opportunity.”

test008

Since last year, the province, the Jeju Horse Producers Association, and the Korea Racing Authority have come together to carry out the project. Although it was in the early stages, it was persuaded of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and eventually reached the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, but the special zone funds were not sufficiently provided. Through another route, we secured 400 million won in national funds and 400 million won in provincial funds, but as the project progressed, various internal regulations and legal issues made it impossible to use them.

test008

After receiving approval, we made a public announcement, and last year we held an explanatory meeting for therapists, assistant trainers, trainees, and owners.We created a standard manual last year. There is every single way to nurture and train. It was produced by capturing the actual training process on a CD.The problem is that after having all the materials prepared, "I made this. Although they said, “Please attend,” many farmers did not come, and there were things they did not know. That didn’t mean I could just leave it alone either.

test008

They are not limiting themselves to horse racing tracks or merely promoting the event; instead, they are visiting farms that have grown to the scale of those in the eastern and western regions to demonstrate it firsthand. It shows scenes of actual training. By doing so, many nearby farmers attended.One may have doubts about the effect of the standard manual. So we designated a pilot farm. Among the producers, we designated four farms that are well-equipped and motivated. We selected 24 animals from your farm and are actually training them according to the manual.

test008

Graduates who learned that process and manual at school come out to carry out that process professionally. For example, after completing the training process, a student graduates, signs contracts with 15 farms, and regularly visits them, training those horses according to their needs and the process. The plan is to provide them with training expenses and enable them to make use of horses, rather than having them enter the racetrack or stay long-term after joining and pay a management fee. We are working together in close cooperation with the school.

TEST008

Minister Yoo Ki-joon emphasized, “Since each cruise tourist spends about $1,000, it has added value comparable to processing 10 containers.” If 3 million people use it, it would generate an economic ripple effect of more than 3 trillion won annually. Moreover, if domestic residents are allowed access to shipboard casinos, the economic effect is estimated to exceed 4 trillion won.There are also considerable voices of criticism against the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ push to allow domestic residents to use onboard casinos.Since 2013, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has designated the promotion of the cruise and marina industries as a key task for the ministry, and has shown a particularly strong obsession with onboard open casinos.

TEST008

Minister Yoo Ki-joon emphasized, “Since each cruise tourist spends about $1,000, it has added value comparable to processing 10 containers.” If 3 million people use it, it would generate an economic ripple effect of more than 3 trillion won annually. Moreover, if domestic residents are allowed access to shipboard casinos, the economic effect is estimated to exceed 4 trillion won.There are also considerable voices of criticism against the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ push to allow domestic residents to use onboard casinos.Since 2013, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has designated the promotion of the cruise and marina industries as a key task for the ministry, and has shown a particularly strong obsession with onboard open casinos.

test008

Knowing that other farms are also benefiting, we hope it will be distributed quickly.First, there is the problem of aging farms. Aged farming households cannot do this work even if they want to do it together. We are also discussing another suitable policy with Jeju Halla University. The professor would make the standard manual, but since he couldn’t do it alone, students came in and handled the practical work. We are planning to link the timing of these students’ graduation with job opportunities.

test008

Jeju Halla University, which produced the training manual, and representatives from the pilot farms meet once a month to present the results and address any difficulties, refining the manual accordingly.After this process goes on to some extent, the horse created according to the manual comes out. Data tracking will be used to compare horses that have undergone training at demonstration farms with other horses, based on age. We will track and fear just how much the timing of race entries is getting earlier, and what the results are after they are entered.

TEST008

Minister Yoo Ki-joon emphasized, “Since each cruise tourist spends about $1,000, it has added value comparable to processing 10 containers.” If 3 million people use it, it would generate an economic ripple effect of more than 3 trillion won annually. Moreover, if domestic residents are allowed access to shipboard casinos, the economic effect is estimated to exceed 4 trillion won.There are also considerable voices of criticism against the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ push to allow domestic residents to use onboard casinos.Since 2013, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has designated the promotion of the cruise and marina industries as a key task for the ministry, and has shown a particularly strong obsession with onboard open casinos.

test008

Last year, a roadmap was drawn in the mid- to long-term race resource management plan to strengthen the competitiveness of Jeju horse racing. Now, horses that have not been trained, and horses whose training level has not been evaluated at all, also enter directly as racehorses. It takes about 90 days from starting training here to going to the race. We cannot continue with this system.Gradually, at first, some of the horses that have completed the departure inspection are allowed in.

test008

Second, we drew a mid- to long-term roadmap so that it would not end with simply creating and distributing a manual. Just as a study pattern is determined by the college entrance system, it is important to set the conditions and direction for joining as a racehorse. Just as it takes at least five years to reach the level of fear in the training process, we cannot do it immediately, but we will begin by signaling how the requirements for entering the racehorse industry will proceed step by step in the future, and what preparations producers and owners need to make.

test008

First, we prepared a “school system” that organizes the production process systematically. Last year, we first reviewed good research materials on how to handle production of things like Seorabad, and how to develop them in the early and late stages. There is plenty of information about the Seorabad both abroad and in Korea, but there was not a single record of the Jeju horse. The standards related to Seorabad could not be applied to Jeju horses. So last year, we created a standard manual for production, breeding, and training suitable for Jeju horses,

test008

In fact, the staff working at LetsRun Park Jeju had also been concerned about this issue, but there were limitations due to internal circumstances. Because there were various conflicts as the Halla horse and the Jeju horse ran together, there was no capacity to systematically invest training or energy.At the end of February 2016, with the signing of an agreement on the development of the horse industry, the obstacle to going to Jeju horse racing was removed. I couldn’t carry the Jeju horse race on like this. I had to provide products that customers wouldn’t feel embarrassed about.

test008

Unlike Thoroughbred, where production, training, and development are systematized, they are being put into racing at some point simply because they have reached an age. Because they come in without proper training, their expertise is lacking and accidents happen frequently. Even the horses’ running level drops. The ability is good, but the words and the deviation are also severe. Overall, the quality of the race is declining. Jeju horse racing is broadcast in Seoul and Busan, but there were also complaints from customers saying,

test008

Since 2014, Deputy Director Kim Jin-gap, who has been in charge of Jeju race resource management at LetsRun Park Jeju, has also been making painstaking efforts over the long haul as the person in charge, developing related policies and manuals, persuading farms, and leading education efforts. On May 7, we met on site with Kim Jin-gap, head of the Race Resource Management Department at LetsRun Park Jeju, to hear about the progress, including the systematic breeding process of racehorse Jeju horses.

test008

Marketing Headquarters, and Kim Jin-gap, head of Jeju’s Race Resource Management Department, have continued to communicate with farmers with a responsible attitude toward this important issue, constantly developing related policies and applying them on the ground.At a special zone meeting held in Jeju last June, Jeon Seong-won, head of the Win-Win Marketing Headquarters, drew attention to the central government’s interest and said, “Starting in 2023, we have set a direction with Jeju Special Self-Governing Province to develop Halla horses,