The Busan Yeonje off-course betting office, operated by the Korea Racing Authority, was closed on 31 December 2023, according to the National Gambling Control Commission's register of gambling industry operators1. The commission's facility statistics carry the note "부산연제지사 2023.12.31. 폐쇄", which states the closure date1.
The same register lists 25 off-course betting offices for horse racing, with the Busan Yeonje branch recorded as closed1. The commission's data does not give a reason for the closure, and no figure for the branch's final-year sales or visitor numbers appears in the entry1.
The Seolleung branch, in Seoul's Gangnam district, opened in September 1993 and closed on 30 November 20251.
Horse racing in South Korea is run through three racecourses, at Seoul, Jeju and Busan-Gyeongnam, plus a fourth at Yeongcheon scheduled to open in September 20261. The Seoul racecourse recorded 2025 sales of 10,805 hundred million won and 2,257,208 visitors; Jeju recorded 2,485 hundred million won and 381,987 visitors; Busan-Gyeongnam recorded 2,666 hundred million won and 606,340 visitors1.
| Off-course betting office | Opened | Location | 2025 sales (hundred million won) | 2025 visitors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Busan Yeonje | Not stated | Busan | Closed 31 Dec 2023 | Closed 31 Dec 2023 |
| Seolleung | Sept 1993 | Seoul, Gangnam district | 461 | 55,566 |
What it means for players
For anyone who bet on horse racing at the Busan Yeonje branch, the venue no longer operates as of 31 December 20231. The commission's register does not say where those customers were directed, and no replacement branch in Busan is listed among the 25 off-course offices1. Busan still has the Busan Dong-gu branch, opened in February 2002, which recorded 1,305 hundred million won in 2025 sales and 196,199 visitors1.
Betting at South Korean racecourses and their branches is pari-mutuel and run by the Korea Racing Authority; the commission's data does not cover offshore or online operators1. Details on how horse racing betting in South Korea is licensed, and where horse racing betting is legal in Asia, are set out in the site's guides.
What happens next
The register lists the Yeongcheon racecourse as scheduled to open in September 20261. No further branch closures beyond Busan Yeonje and Seolleung are recorded in the commission's data1.
Sources1 sources
- 사행산업통합감독위원회, ngcc.go.kr
