Sky72's 'Business Transfer' Proposal Is a Scheme to Make More Money

Golf Course Successor KMH Shilla Leisure's Rebuttal
"Unconditional Withdrawal Is the Shortcut to Resolving Employment Issues"
"Caddy Living Allowance Payment, 100% Employment Guarantee"

Sky72 Golf Course, which halted operations at some facilities last month due to court-enforced eviction, issued a statement offering to transfer its business if it guarantees the livelihood of related workers for at least three years. However, the successor operator, KMH Shilla Leisure Consortium (KMH Shilla Leisure), demanded an unconditional withdrawal, calling this a mere deception and trickery.

On the morning of the 17th last month, employees of a business contracted by the tenants clashed with officials from the Incheon District Court Enforcement Office attempting to carry out a forced eviction in front of Sky72 Golf & Resort in Jung-gu, Incheon. Photo by Gonghang Photojournalists Group

On the 7th, KMH Shilla Leisure released a statement saying, "(The proposal from the existing Sky72 operator) is nothing but a trick and deception to regain control of the Ocean Course," and criticized, "They pretend to be concerned about employees' employment issues but are actually trying to make more money under this pretext." They added, "We sincerely ask for the restoration of common sense and compliance with the law to actively cooperate in normalizing the golf course," emphasizing, "The way forward is unconditional (sports facility business) registration changes and resolution of illegal occupation."

Earlier, Sky72 stated in a statement released that morning, "Due to the forced eviction by Incheon International Airport Corporation, operations of the Ocean Course have been suspended, causing over 1,100 tenants, caddies, and partner companies (including cleaning, security, facilities, lesson pros, and course regular staff) to lose their jobs," and added, "To sustain the livelihoods of thousands of related workers and their families, we proposed to Incheon International Airport Corporation the day before to transfer operations under the condition of guaranteeing the same terms for at least three years and resuming operations of the Ocean Course."

Specifically, they said, "If the legal status of related workers is guaranteed to be at least the same or better conditions for a minimum of three years, we will transfer operations to the successor operator," and "We request that the Ocean Course operations be resumed immediately to maintain the livelihoods of related workers and prevent damage to the golf course until the business transfer and the succession of the sports facility business status are peacefully completed." They also demanded that this guarantee be formalized through a business transfer contract or separate written document.

The successor operator, KMH Shilla Leisure, stated, "The disruption at Sky72 Golf Course is caused by the illegal occupation by the existing operator who ignored even the Supreme Court's final ruling," and claimed, "If the existing operator registers the change of sports facility business now and immediately withdraws, all issues including employee and caddie employment and tenant problems will be resolved within two weeks at the latest."

Previously, the Incheon District Court Enforcement Office completed forced eviction of the Ocean Course (54 holes) within Sky72 Golf Course on the 17th of last month. This was because Incheon International Airport Corporation won the final appeal in the 'real estate delivery lawsuit' against the existing golf course operator, Sky72 Co., Ltd., requiring the golf course land to be handed over to Incheon International Airport Corporation, which had not been complied with.

Sky72 had leased land owned by Incheon International Airport Corporation, the planned site for the 5th runway construction at Incheon Airport, in 2005 to develop and operate the golf course and clubhouse. The contract termination date between Incheon International Airport Corporation and Sky72 was set as December 31, 2020, when the 5th runway would be constructed, but the runway construction was delayed, leading to over two years of legal disputes. In September 2020, Incheon International Airport Corporation held a public bid to select a new golf course operator, and KMH Shilla Leisure was chosen as the new operator.

KMH Shilla Leisure stated, "We will definitely uphold employee employment succession and plan to provide living subsidies to alleviate the livelihood concerns of about 400 caddies."