President Lee Jae Myung says gaming isn't an addictive substance but a cultural industry

On October 15, President Lee Jae Myung stated, "The government's view is that we should make the Republic of Korea a global cultural industry nation, and I believe the game industry is a crucial part of the cultural industry."

The President made this remark at the 'K-Game On-Site Meeting' held at the PUBG office in Seongsu under the theme, "Level Up to Become the World's 3rd Largest Gaming Powerhouse," saying, "It's a great pleasure to meet with the people who run our game companies, operate them, and the professional gamers." Representatives from major game companies, including Nexon, KRAFTON, Netmarble, and NCSOFT, attended the meeting.

The President greeted Kim Taek Jin, CEO of NCSOFT, saying, "It's been a long time since I've seen you. Things seem difficult these days, right?" and recalled his time as the mayor of Seongnam. He said, "Even when I was in Seoul, I had a lot of interest and we had many discussions about the game industry's share, and we provided a lot of policy support," adding," Doesn't the area around Pangyo, Seongnam, account for a very high proportion?"

Criticism of Past Policy and Call for a New Perspective

The President then pointed out that a past government had classified games as one of the 'Four Major Addictions,' criticizing, "I wonder if we were suddenly surpassed by China because we pursued a policy of oppression rather than support despite having been ahead of them at the time."

Regarding concerns about excessive problematic game absorption, he argued that perceptions must change, citing the example of comic books. President Lee said, "When I was young, reading comic books was considered the behavior of students who didn't study, so I even had to go look for my younger siblings because he wouldn't come out of the comic book store." He continued, "But now, comics, animations, and webtoons have become another major industry, haven't they?"

He emphasized, "Since a game is, after all, a game, it's fun, so the level of users getting absorbed is high; if there's no element of immersion, it's not a game." He stressed, "We must address and resolve the side effects as side effects, but since people are inevitably going to have more leisure time in the future, the issue will be how they spend that time. We should turn this into an opportunity." The President asserted, "We shouldn't abandon the entire activity just because there's a problem," likening it to not "getting rid of all the Korean earthenware with precious goods just because there are too many thieves."

Economic Value and Job Creation

President Lee acknowledged that the game industry can significantly contribute to creating quality youth jobs. He stated, "While it's a pleasant thing for a game business operator to see sales increase and operating profit surge when a game is successful, my interest is whether the young employees and youth working there can also enjoy the equivalent benefits and opportunities."

However, he showed a balanced view on the working hours of game developers. Regarding the developers' demand for 'intensive work,' President Lee mentioned, "The workers involved in development don't say it in front of the CEOs, but behind their backs, they're saying they're dying. There's a term for that, the one about the lights never going out."

He said, "It is our job to ensure that the employed young people and youth are not subjected to consumables, abandoned, or have their minimal human rights violated. We must prevent such a worst-case scenario. We must resolve these two conflicting issues more wisely and effectively."

National Pride and Future Outlook

The President highlighted the industry's role in national wealth, stating, "I hear that PUBG (Battlegrounds) had sales of 2.7 trillion KRW (1.9 billion USD) last year alone, and yet only a few hundred people are directly employed there." He emphasized, "This greatly helps with creating national wealth, and for a country like the Republic of Korea, which lacks resources and relies on exports, the export of games seems to be the true form of export."

President Lee urged the attendees to "have pride in being the backbone of the Korean cultural industry and work hard with courage and passion," declaring, "(Games are) not addictive substances."