Internet Game Shutdown law for teenagers abolished after 10 years
Law amended to Autonomous Game Time Selection system
Preparing measures to prevent excessive immersion in games
[해외특파원 1기 / 박소민 기자] On August 25th, 2021, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced a proposal to create a healthy gaming environment for teenagers, abolishing the game shutdown system jointly prepared by related ministries at the 15th Social Relations Minister’s Meeting. The plan calls for abolishing the existing game shutdown system and changing it to an autonomous game time selection system. In addition, it expanded education on game understanding to teenagers, guardians, and teachers so that teenagers can coach their use of games at home and school.
The game shutdown law is a technical measure that forces young students under the age of 16 to stop playing games after midnight to 6 a.m by shutting down internet games based on Korean Standard Time. Since 2004, there have been calls for the introduction of a compulsory shutdown system to guarantee youth sleep rights, but it was officially implemented on November 20th, 2011. The game shutdown system was introduced to prevent youth from overindulging on the Internet, but the law was abolished due to problems such as teenager’s freedom of expression, overlapping regulations on game operators, and violation of game operators’ rights.
The autonomous game time selection system that was implemented in 2021 is a system that allows users to control their gaming hours when requested by themselves or legal guardians such as parents. It was implemented to strengthen youth’s autonomous control of game use, make game-use-related communication routines at home and school, and establish an environment where various leisure activities including games are made possible.
To limit the gaming hours of teenagers, they or their parents must personally apply for the restriction of hours of use. The application method can be applied by visiting the specific game website and following guidance posted on bulletin boards. Game usage time limits can be applied at various times and changed through reapplication, however, it has been made so that children aren’t permitted to adjust the time limits but only their parents.
In order for the newly introduced system to succeed, the government promoted improving awareness of games to parents and teachers, expanding the net function of games, and preparing measures to prevent overindulgence in games. Specifically, the government expanded the education of guardians and teachers to enhance game understanding and provided game information to resolve game information asymmetry.
