Lingering policy debate over classification of excessive gaming as illness

By Lim Chang-won Posted : May 13, 2020, 11:17 Updated : May 13, 2020, 11:17

[Gettyimages Bank]

SEOUL -- South Korea has been locked in nettlesome debate over how to introduce a disease code for game addiction following the World Health Organization's decision to classify excessive gaming as an illness. The United Nations agency has outlined a grace period extending up to January 1, 2022.

Government bodies have shown policy differences, leading to the creation of a consultative body involving civilian and government experts to form a social consensus and create a sound game culture. The culture ministry sided with game developers, insisting young people engage in compulsive gaming activities not simply because of games but because of psychosocial factors.

As internet or smartphone addiction has become a serious social issue thanks to the widespread use of smartphones, the ministry of health and welfare stood firm with the classification of games as the main cause of additional addiction along with drug, alcohol and gambling. To provide better medical care and prevent game addiction, it plans to use a disease code for games.

"Game is a leisure culture enjoyed by the majority of the people and a key convergence industry in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution," Kim Young-ran, director of the Korea Internet Corporations Association, said in a statement that contained the outcome of a study which analyzed the responses of game users when a game use disorder is classified as a disease.

The study found that the classification can reduce the demand of game users as a whole, but it can backfire on groups with higher levels of stress and those that should receive more attention, the association said. "Game users with high stress levels could face greater economic and psychological burdens if they are unable to play games."

Game developers have complained about excessive regulations since a "shutdown" law was enforced in 2012 to bar youngsters under the age of 16 from playing computer games from midnight to 6 a.m. A tighter law was enforced in 2014, forcing game publishers to change their systems or develop new ones, resulting in a shortage of manpower developing and managing games.

The shutdown system still raises questions about its effectiveness, the association said, adding that despite its positive aspect, the disease classification of game use disorders requires a "cool-headed" examination of its impact on the game industry, rising social costs, and increasing burden on game users.

The study found that classifying game addiction as a disease can reduce the average annual sales of South Korea's game industry by up to 3.5 trillion won, eliminate about 34,000 jobs, cause about 864.8 billion won in unnecessary imports in the game-making industry and incur more than 700 billion won in additional social costs such as medical expenses, the association said.

The domestic game industry, which recorded annual sales of 13.14 trillion won ($10.7 billion) in 2017, is competitive in the world and has high growth potential, the association said, suggesting that a 28 percent drop in sales in the game industry is expected to reduce gross domestic product by 5.25 trillion won a year.

"The game industry has high growth potential and Korean game companies are globally competitive," lead researcher Yoo Byung-joon, a business administration professor at Seoul National University, was quoted as saying. "Considering industrial contraction, increased social costs, and increased burden on game users, it is necessary to objectively consider whether the positive value is clear."

Yoo's team will conduct additional brain-recognition experiments to check ripple effects at the level of individual users. The association will hold a forum involving government officials, scholars and game industry representatives.

Government officials nod their approval at growing complaints from game developers that excessive regulations have hindered their growth. However, there is a long road ahead to work out a compromise.
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