THE $5,000,000 BINGO PARLOR IF PROSTITUTION IS THE WORLD'S OLDEST PROFESSION AND 
GAMBLING THE MOST PROFITABLE, WHAT HAVE YOU GOT WHEN YOU COMBINE 
THE TWO ? A GOLD MINE OR SO SOUTH KOREA'S RULING 
JUNTA THOUGHT WHEN IT DREAMED UP WALKER HILL, A SPRAWLING, 156-ACRE 
COMPLEX OF GAMING TABLES AND HOT-PILLOW HOTELS DESIGNED TO ENTICE THE 
TOURIST TRADE AND, NOT INCIDENTALLY, THE 40,000 U.S . TROOPS STATIONED 
IN KOREA . OUT TO MANILA AND MACAO WENT THE CALL 
FOR CROUPIERS, AND FOUR AMERICANS FROM LAS VEGAS MOVED IN TO 
MANAGE THE ACTION . BUT WHEN IT OPENED UP TEN MILES 
OUTSIDE SEOUL LAST WEEK, THE MONTE CARLO OF THE ORIENT PROVED 
TO BE LITTLE MORE THAN A $5,000,000 BINGO PARLOR WITH SODA 
FOUNTAINS . THE TROUBLES FOR WALKER HILL (NAMED AFTER THE LATE 
U.S . GENERAL WALTON WALKER, WHO COMMANDED U.N . FORCES DURING 
THE KOREAN WAR) BEGAN WHEN ITS ARCHITECTS, WHO HAD NEVER DESIGNED 
A HOTEL, POSITIONED BUNGALOWS SO ARTISTICALLY AND PRECARIOUSLY ON THE HILLSIDES 
THAT A GOOD RAINFALL THREATENED TO SLIDE THEM MAJESTICALLY INTO THE 
HAN RIVER ; THE MANAGEMENT IS NOW FRANTICALLY PLANTING TREES TO 
STOP MUD SLIDES . THEN PUBLIC FUNDS APPROPRIATED FOR THE PROJECT 
MYSTERIOUSLY STARTED TURNING UP IN PRIVATE POCKETS ; EIGHT TOP WALKER 
HILL OFFICIALS ARE CURRENTLY UNDER ARREST OR INVESTIGATION FOR EMBEZZLEMENT AND 
BRIBERY . SO BAD WAS WALKER HILL'S CREDIT RATING THAT LOUIS 
( " SATCHMO " ) ARMSTRONG, WHOSE BAND GOT $60,000 FOR 
PLAYING THE OPENING TWO-WEEK STAND, " DIDN'T EVEN THINK OF MAKING 
PLANE RESERVATIONS TO COME HERE UNTIL OUR FEE CLEARED THE BANK 
BACK HOME . " THE WORST BLOW, HOWEVER, CAME WHEN G.I.S' 
MOTHERS BACK IN THE U.S . HEARD ABOUT THE AFFAIR . 
FEAR THAT THE U.S . ARMY WOULD DECLARE THE PLACE OFF 
LIMITS FORCED PROJECT OFFICIALS TO BAN GAMBLING, EXCEPT FOR BINGO AND 
SLOT MACHINES . AS FOR GIRLS, POTENTIAL HUSTLERS WERE TOLD TO 
PEDDLE THEIR WARES ELSEWHERE, THOUGH ONE WALKER HILL OFFICIAL ADMITTED THAT, 
" WHILE WE DO NOT ALLOW PROSTITUTION, WE ARE NOT GOING 
TO INSIST ON COUPLES PRODUCING A MARRIAGE LICENSE . " THERE 
WAS A MAD RUSH TO GET THE PLACE READY FOR LAST 
WEEK'S GALA OPENING, AND GUESTS WERE SOMEWHAT SURPRISED TO FIND THAT 
THE SHOWERS WORKED, SHEETS WERE ON THE BEDS, AND THE ROAST 
BEEF IN THE DINING ROOM WAS NOT BAD AT ALL . 
BUT WITHOUT ITS TWO MAJOR ATTRACTIONS, WALKER HILL, IN ALL ITS 
MOTEL MODRUN SPLENDOR, WAS STILL HALF EMPTY . BECAUSE OF THE 
JUNTA'S SLOGAN, " AUSTERITY FOR PROGRESS, " SOUTH KOREANS WERE NOT 
ALLOWED INSIDE UNLESS THEY CAME AS GUESTS OF FOREIGNERS . THIS 
POLICY MIGHT HAVE TO BE CHANGED . AS ONE OBSERVER PUT 
IT : " IF THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO MAKE A GO 
OF THIS PLACE, THEY'LL HAVE TO LET THE SOUTH KOREANS IN 
AND PROBABLY THE NORTH KOREANS TOO . " 