Government Fails to Find 'Sharp Solution' Against Provocative Game Ads in China

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] #A woman is tied up somewhere with only a specific body part covered by a string. Another woman, wearing revealing clothes, is locked in a prison cell, begging to be released. These scenes, which could be seen in adult content, are actually advertisements for games commonly found on social networking services (SNS).

According to the gaming industry on the 29th, controversies over provocative advertisements by Chinese game companies, including misogyny and sexual objectification, have persisted for years. However, there are criticisms that fundamental problems remain unresolved as the government continues to take a passive approach.

The related government agencies, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Game Rating and Administration Committee, maintain that issuing corrective recommendations to block provocative advertisements whenever they are found is the best course of action. A Ministry of Culture official said, "Under current law, the most realistic measure is to report and remove problematic advertisements as they are discovered," adding, "There are only a handful of game companies that run provocative ads, and regulation is difficult except by recommending self-discipline."

According to the current Game Industry Act, if the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism finds that games or advertisements provided through information and communication networks constitute "advertisements or promotional materials that differ from the content of rated games," the person managing or operating the bulletin board can be ordered to refuse, suspend, or restrict their handling. However, Chinese game companies only face a fine of about 10 million KRW if they violate this. Moreover, if there is no domestic branch, enforcement is practically impossible.

While the government sticks to complacent measures, Chinese game companies continue to post provocative advertisements as if mocking the situation. Starting with "Becoming the King" in 2018, which aired ads resembling the buying and selling of women, games such as "Queen’s Taste," which compared women to rose and lemon flavors, and more recently "Zombie Spot: Beauty and the Zombie" and "Origin of the Dragon," have blatantly exposed specific parts of women’s bodies in their advertisements.

Recently, a petition appeared on the Blue House website demanding a stop to "eye-squinting game advertisements." The petitioner expressed concern, saying, "Currently, the only way to stop these ads is to report them after seeing them," and added, "If teenagers are exposed to provocative game ads and grow up with unconscious biases, our steps toward gender equality will remain stagnant."

Experts advised that the government should implement stronger regulations. Professor Wi Jeong-hyun of Chung-Ang University’s Department of Business Administration, who is also the president of the Korea Game Society, said, "What game companies fear most is damage to their business," and added, "When problems arise, the government needs to take strong measures such as temporarily suspending game servers or postponing game reviews."