A group of game users went public with a protest, saying the Ministry of Health and Welfare is treating games as a target for addiction management without a clear legal basis.
In a statement on the 12th, the Korea Game Users Association said, "It is an arbitrary interpretation of the law for the Ministry of Health and Welfare to define 'games,' which are not specified in the Mental Health Welfare Act, as subject to management by the Integrated Support Center for Addiction Management," and noted, "Under the current Mental Health Welfare Act, games are not included as a target for addiction management, but the ministry is distorting the law by unilaterally designating them as such."
The association pointed out, "In June last year, we filed a public petition calling for the immediate removal of the expression, and 1,761 citizens left their opinions in support, but the ministry ignored the statutory deadline and notified the result only on the 5th of this month, more than 200 days later."
The association emphasized that Article 15-3 of the current Mental Health Welfare Act specifies the targets of the Integrated Support Center for Addiction Management as "addiction problems such as alcohol, drugs, gambling, and the internet," but the expression "games" cannot be found. It also condemned the ministry for failing to correct this despite President Lee Jae-myung remarking at a meeting with the game industry last year that "games are not addictive substances."
Lee Cheol-woo, head of the Korea Game Users Association, said, "Games were included in the category of culture and arts with the 2022 revision of the Culture and Arts Promotion Act, and a 2024 Gallup Korea survey selected them as Koreans' 'most favored hobby,' indicating a shift in social perception," and added, "I want to ask why the ministry insists on behavior that runs counter to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the protests of many citizens, the president's clear remarks, and even the contents of the law."
He added, "We will review follow-up measures and plan to mobilize all means to protect the rights and interests of game users."