Representative Kang Yoo-jung proposes a representative proposal for a partial amendment to the Statistics Act that prevents the classification of diseases in games
Jul 16, 2024
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The current statistical law stipulates that when the United Nations and the World Health Assembly announce international standard classification related to industry, disease, and death, Korean standard classification is prepared based on this. Accordingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) Disease Code Classification (ICD-11), which listed game use disorder as a new international disease in 2019, is expected to be reflected in the Korean standard disease classification in the future.
However, opinions from various sectors of society are divided over whether to include 'game use disorder' in the domestic disease classification system, and opinions are also divided within government ministries. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is expressing its opposition, fearing enormous damage to the game content industry, while the Ministry of Health and Welfare has expressed its approval.
Accordingly, the Office for Government Policy Coordination formed a public-private consultative body to coordinate opinions in 2019, but after five years, there have been no results other than the progress of research services. In addition, due to the binding power of the current statistical law that requires unconditional compliance with international standard classification, there is a concern that game use disorder will be listed as a disease code even if a consultation is reached by a public-private consultative body. However, the government is sitting on its hands without proper measures.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which is in charge of the gaming industry, was not aware of the current blind spots of the statistical law until the Democratic Party pointed it out in December 2022, according to testimony from participants in the public-private consultative body.
The statistical law proposed by Representative Kang this time lowers the binding power of the current law, which must unconditionally reflect international standard classification, and makes it mandatory to collect opinions from stakeholders and experts. Accordingly, if the revision is passed, it is expected that Korea's social and economic characteristics and the need to protect the domestic content industry will be considered together to create a standard classification suitable for Korean characteristics, Kang's office said.
Lawmaker Kang Yoo-jung said, `If game use disorders are introduced into the disease code, the size of the domestic game industry, which is 67.8% of the total content exports, is expected to decrease by KRW 8.8 trillion in two years. In addition, the socio-economic damage will be very significant, with 80,000 job opportunities reduced. "As already confirmed by the entire nation during the settlement of the Rhine-Yahoo incident, the government's irresponsible and complacent response has caused severe economic and national damage. As a member of the National Assembly's stylistic committee, I will carefully examine the game industry so that it does not shrink."
Meanwhile, in the 22nd general election, the Democratic Party of Korea announced a plan to revise the law to prevent domestic registration of game addiction with a pledge of 'My Type' for game users.
bluesky@sportschosun.com
