The Seongnam Comprehensive Addiction Management Center recently announced the recruitment of participants for the 'AI-based addiction prevention content production contest,' specifying the theme of 'prevention of the four major addictions (alcohol, drugs, gambling, internet gaming).' The contest, hosted by Seongnam City and the management center, offers a total prize of 12 million won, and there has been criticism from the gaming industry regarding the designation of games as part of the 'four major addictions.'
The term 'four major addictions' emerged during the Park Geun-hye administration in 2013, when lawmaker Shin Eu-joon classified games as substances that cause addiction alongside alcohol, drugs, and gambling. The gaming industry has criticized Seongnam City for using such terminology in a region known as the 'mecca of the Korean gaming industry.'
The area around Pangyo Station in Seongnam is home to major domestic game companies, including NEOWIZ, Nexon, and Smilegate. Namkoong Hoon, co-chairman of Kakao Games' Game Talent Foundation, strongly criticized Seongnam City's categorization of games as part of the four major addictions through social media, stating that he would cease cooperation with the city.