Internet Games Prove Challenging for South Korea

October 31, 2013, 7:21 AM

Internet Games Prove Challenging for South Korea

By Jaeyeon Woo

South Korea’s government may find it difficult to stake out a winning position regarding online games if victory means coordination between the appendages of two arms of government. On one hand, ruling-party lawmakers are calling for measures to curb the playing of online games, citing antisocial side effects, while on the other, a ministry says the industry is an important cog in a strategy of vouchsafing the country’s economic success in creative industries.In April, Shin Eui-jin, a doctor-turned-lawmaker from the ruling New Frontier Party, proposed a bill that excessive playing of online games be officially listed as an addiction, thus making it subject to government oversight alongside alcoholism, problem gambling and drug abuse. The bill joined two others pending passage in the National Assembly that would allow the government to collect from Korean makers of games up to 1% of annual sales to be deposited in a fund that would be used to help cure people addicted to games.

On Tuesday, the Korea Internet & Digital Entertainment Association said the legislation is a betrayal of the government’s commitment to promoting online games as one of five items—along with K-Pop, movies, animation, and theatrical musicals—that will help Korea grow into a “software” powerhouse.

The association adorned its homepage with a “death” banner and started a petition against the antigame bills.

Last week, it said the legislation was “turning the clock backward” and an attempt to strangle an industry that “contributes about 60% of the country’s content exports.”

But the economic argument isn’t necessarily gaining traction with people who see the dangers outweighing any benefits.

Ruling party representative Suh Sang-ki said Tuesday that online games could cause far worse damage than other addictions, with teenagers being most at risk.

Earlier this month, Hwang Woo-yeo, the former ruling party floor leader, told the legislature that Internet games, gambling, drugs and alcohol were “evils.” He cited an incident in which a boy killed his mother, who had scolded him for too much computer games.

According to Ms. Shin’s bill, around 3.3 million people of the country’s 50 million population require medical treatment given the extent of their addition to Internet games. Current legislation, she says, doesn’t provide enough help for addicts or effectively prevent more people from getting hooked.

Last Friday, opposition Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Min-hee said the government has an incoherent, self-contradictory stance.

“The ruling party is trying to put a strong curb on the game industry while the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning is promoting online games as one of five killer content areas.” she said.

Ms. Choi acknowledged that side effects and crimes associated with games need to be addressed, but said the ruling-party lawmakers’ plan doesn’t comprehensively take into account the consequences for industry. It is “passing the buck onto consumers,” she said.

Ms. Shin countered the criticism from the game industry during a radio interview on Wednesday. She said it failed to understand that the bill she proposed, which is scheduled to be scrutinized in a public hearing on Thursday, is more about prevention than regulation.