With the presidential election approaching, major candidates are unveiling policies targeting the gaming industry, but there are concerns about a lack of concrete pledges regarding key issues that the gaming sector is focused on. As the issue of the World Health Organization (WHO)'s 'gaming disorder' disease code emerges, the positions of each candidate are often vague or not mentioned at all.
According to the industry on the 21st, Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate, launched a 'Gaming Special Committee' within the party last March and has been actively engaging in-site activities aimed at attracting young voters by recently visiting the e-sports stadium at Chosun University in Gwangju to experience 'League of Legends (LoL)' firsthand. He noted, "Gaming is no longer a deviation but a cultural industry" and stated, "I will nurture esports as a strategic industry."
However, there was no direct mention of the issue regarding the introduction of the 'gaming disorder' disease code. The party's gaming special committee has set opposition to the disease code as one of its four key strategic tasks and continues to hold related meetings and discussions. Gaming disorder is a concept included in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) by the WHO in 2019, viewed as a mental health condition characterized by the inability to control gaming use leading to significant impairment in daily life. If introduced domestically, there are major concerns that gaming could be stigmatized as a 'managed target' legally and socially. There are differing opinions between the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism regarding whether to adopt the disease code, and Statistics Korea is awaiting decisions from the public-private consultative body.
The gaming special committee has collected experimental proposals such as a 'four-day workweek' as part of improving labor conditions in the industry, but there are also responses from the industry stating that "to compete with China, it is urgent to relax the current 52-hour workweek system."
Kim Moon-soo, the People Power Party candidate, included easing regulations on the gaming industry and expanding tax credits as part of cultural policies, but specific pledges treating the gaming industry as an independent policy area are lacking. However, there have been ongoing attempts within the party to strategically address the gaming industry. Kim Yong-tae, the People Power Party's emergency response committee chairman, noted at an e-sports forum on the 16th, "E-sports is a career for young people, job opportunities for regions, and a strategic industry for the country," adding that "the system of pre-censorship for games should be abolished, and it should be improved to a system centered on private autonomy." Kim Seung-soo, a People Power Party lawmaker who hosted the forum, also emphasized that "establishing a local e-sports presence is a necessity, not an option," stating that "the regulations that hinder the diversity and creativity of content production must be revised."
Lee Jun-seok, the Reform Party candidate, attracted attention on the first day of the campaign by releasing a mini-game linked to the political communication app 'JunStock,' but did not present a separate policy pledge regarding the gaming industry. He has previously expressed criticism of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family's gaming regulations and has shown interest in promoting the gaming industry at the party level, but no specific policy details have been materialized.
Industry insiders point out that both ruling and opposition parties focus solely on nurturing e-sports or enhancing its image, while practical solutions to issues such as the disease code, labor flexibility, and the disclosure of information on probability-based items are lacking. An industry representative stated, "If gaming is considered an industry, there must be a demonstrated will to resolve core structural issues first," adding that "e-sports is just part of it, and to actually expand the size of the industry, each candidate needs effective measures against the introduction of the disease code, regulatory improvements, and expanded work flexibility."
The Korea Game User Association and the Game Industry Association recently delivered policy proposals related to gaming to major political parties. The User Association proposed 11 items, including the establishment of a game literacy education system, disclosure of information on probability-based items, and mandatory notifications for paid items, while the Industry Association demands prevention of the introduction of the disease code, expansion of tax incentives for game exports, and an expansion of flexible working hours.
Kim Jeong-tae, a professor in the Game Department at Tongyang University, emphasized that to foster gaming as an industry, three core tasks must be pursued consistently regardless of the administration: first, rationalizing excessive regulations such as the shutdown system and the disease code; second, establishing a dedicated control tower to oversee gaming and e-sports; and third, formulating policies to enhance e-sports linked to regional industries. He further remarked, "There is an urgent need for policies that support the global expansion of small and medium game companies and experiments with new technologies like AI and Web3. Gaming must be treated not just as leisure but as a future industry."
Wi Jeong-hyun, president of the Korean Game Society (Dean of the College of Virtual Convergence at Chung-Ang University), noted that "the gaming pledges of each candidate in this election are generally lacking substance and effectiveness," adding that "the gaming industry has effectively become a 'stepchild.'" He continued, stating that "regardless of the administration, expanding R&D tax credits, innovating the ecosystem, including startups, and establishing large-scale funds are essential core tasks," and emphasized that "discussions on establishing a gaming promotion agency should function as an independent control tower encompassing e-sports, rather than merely creating spaces, and the approach of having one organization manage both regulation and promotion should be avoided."