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Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Health
- Korea Herald
Stigma threatens Korea's gaming ascent
Seongnam city's AI contest reignites controversy over whether gaming is addictive Korea stands tall as a global gaming powerhouse, fueled by cutting-edge tech, the widespread usage of personal computers and a passionate gaming community. Its thriving industry not only dominates at home but sends Korean games around the world, making the country the fourth-biggest game exporter in the world and driving 70 percent of Korea's total media content exports. Despite the success, the industry still battles a deep-rooted stigma linking games to harmful addiction. The latest controversy was sparked by a recent artificial intelligence contest organized by Seongnam, a city in southern Gyeonggi province and home to Korea's IT and gaming hub, Pangyo Techno Valley. Earlier this month, Seongnam and its addiction support center began accepting submissions of AI-generated short videos and songs about preventing various addictions. The issue arose from the organizers naming four addictions: alcohol, drugs, gambling and 'internet gaming.' The gaming community reacted immediately, with 13 associations representing gamers, the esports and gaming industry, and gaming scholars castigating the labeling of gaming as an addiction. Seongnam city explained that it simply followed the 2025 mental health business guidelines from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, which names gaming as an addiction, and removed the word 'gaming' from the phrase 'Internet gaming.' The gaming community followed up by filing a formal inquiry with the Ministry of Health and Welfare to demand answers about the extent of its involvement, if any, in the AI contest and whether it considers gaming an addiction. Strangely, the 2023 mental health business guidelines published by the same Ministry of Health and Welfare just two years ago had zero mentions of gaming in the entire document. The clarification by the city of Seongnam appears to be an attempt to avoid blame as it is home to Pangyo Techno Valley, where a majority of Korea's leading game developers have been headquartered for years -- including NCSoft, Nexon, Kakao Games, Smilegate and Wemade. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which oversees the gaming sector, later sent out an official notice to the Health Ministry and local governments, pointing out that the debate over whether gaming causes addiction is still ongoing among scholars around the world. It noted that there is a lack of scientific evidence, and asked them to refrain from using the word "addiction" to describe gaming or listing gaming among addictive behaviors. 'In the Culture and Arts Promotion Act, which was revised in 2022, gaming was included in the sector of 'culture and arts,' and a 2024 survey by Gallup Korea showed that gaming was the hobby with the greatest appeal to Koreans, so the social perception (of gaming) is changing,' said Lee Cheol-woo, a lawyer who heads the Korean Game User Association. 'Policies that regard gaming as a subject for addiction control run counter to this social change.' President Lee Jae Myung, in his election campaign, vowed to support the gaming industry, signaling positive changes toward the country's gaming sector. If Korea wants to take the next step to lead the gaming world, policymakers must recognize that the enemy is not gaming itself, but ignorance.
Korea Herald
28-03-2025
- Climate
- Korea Herald
South Korea's deadliest fire contained after seven-day firefighting effort: authorities
Emergency relief of 300,000 won each to be paid to 270,000 residents Wildfires that raged across North Gyeongsang Province for the last seven days are fully contained as of 5 p.m., authorities said Friday. Overnight showers and decreased wind speeds assisted in suppressing the wildfire in Uiseong, Cheongsong, Yeongdeok and Yeongyang counties. According to the authorities, light rainfall of approximately 1 millimeter in northern areas of the province, coupled with reduced wind speeds of some 7 to 11 kilometers per hour, helped slow the fire's spread. Andong also had a brief, much-needed downpour after midnight. Earlier in the day, authorities said they were planning to deploy around 80 helicopters and thousands of personnel to fully extinguish wildfires before sunset Friday. The fires, entering their eighth day on Friday, have scorched approximately 48,150 hectares — equivalent to 67,400 soccer fields or 166 times the area of Seoul's Yeouido. The fires have been linked to 28 deaths, nine severe injuries, 28 other injuries and over 33,000 displaced people. About 2,400 households, or 8,000 individuals, sustained damage, including to their homes and agricultural facilities. In response, North Gyeongsang Province announced an emergency housing plan on Friday. Gov. Lee Cheol-woo said that displaced residents will be relocated to temporary shelters, utilizing corporate training centers and hotels, and will be provided with prefabricated houses. Plans are also underway to build new residential villages in affected areas. Emergency relief payments of 300,000 won ($205) per person will be distributed to approximately 270,000 residents across the five affected regions of Uiseong, Andong, Yeongdeok, Yeongyang and Cheongsong. To better respond to future disasters, the province plans to adopt nighttime firefighting systems using drones and uncrewed extinguishing robots. It also aims to revise evacuation guidelines and develop specialized firefighting equipment for mountainous terrain. 'We are doing everything we can to fully extinguish the fires and support affected residents in restoring their lives,' said Gov. Lee.
Korea Herald
09-03-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
AmCham, North Gyeongsang Province to bolster economic cooperation
The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea and North Gyeongsang Province signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday to enhance economic cooperation and attract foreign investment ahead of the 2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju later this year. The signing ceremony was attended by AmCham Chairman and CEO James Kim and North Gyeongsang Province Gov. Lee Cheol-woo, along with representatives from key AmCham member companies. Under the agreement, AmCham and the provincial government will collaborate to position the province as a key investment destination through joint promotional activities and networking events targeting multinational companies. "It is an honor to strengthen our partnership with North Gyeongsang Province at such a critical time. Signing this agreement in Gyeongju, the host city of the 2025 APEC Summit, makes it even more meaningful," said Kim, the AmCham CEO. He added that the collaboration would highlight the province's investment potential and South Korea's economic resilience on the global stage. Gov. Lee emphasized that the MOU will help enhance cooperation with global companies and create a business-friendly environment, further positioning the province as a major economic hub and a prime investment destination for US businesses.
