'The Temptation of Gambling and Crime'... Illegal Private Game Server Promotion Sites Run Rampant

Promotion of Private Servers Copying Lineage and Others
18,000 Access Blocks Last Year
Estimated Monthly Damage from Private Servers 319.2 Billion KRW

Photo by Screenshot of illegal private game server promotion site

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] "The main server implements many skills and items."

On the 19th, by entering related keywords online, it is easy to access sites promoting illegal private game servers. These sites promoted private servers that copied popular online games such as NCSoft's Lineage Remastered and the old version of Lineage, as well as Nexon's Baram-i Nara and MapleStory. The advertisements included information on the opening dates of various illegal private servers and how to access them. They also promoted that it is easier to obtain items and in-game currency than on official servers, and that character development time is faster. The content also included the introduction of gambling systems and a promise not to reset the server until users want it.

Under current law, promoting illegal private servers can result in up to 5 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 50 million won. The "Game Industry Promotion Act" prohibits the distribution of illegal game content, including producing, distributing, providing, or mediating game content not provided or approved by game-related businesses. Since it infringes on copyright property rights, it also constitutes a violation of copyright law.

The reason for illegal promotion is profit. In January last year, through cooperation between the Game Rating and Administration Committee and the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, a total of eight people were caught, including five operators of Lineage illegal private server promotion sites such as Mr. H, and three illegal private server operators. It was found that the promotion site operators charged between 80,000 and 750,000 won per advertisement. Illegal private server operators gather users through promotion, receive cash, and generate profits by selling items or currency.

According to the Game Rating and Administration Committee, the number of access blocks for private server advertisements increased from 1,622 cases in 2019 to 18,400 cases last year. This year, until August, the number of access blocks was recorded at 7,596. A representative of the Game Rating and Administration Committee said, "Even if sites are blocked, new sites are created, so we plan to strengthen blocking through the development of automated monitoring programs." The estimated damage caused by illegal private servers is about 319.2 billion won per month.

Professor Wi Jung-hyun of the Department of Business Administration at Chung-Ang University, president of the Korea Game Society, said, "Because the interests of illegal private server promoters, operators, and users align, it is difficult to completely eradicate illegal operation and promotion. To resolve the problem, it will ultimately be possible when users return to official servers. If the extreme gap among users on official servers caused by probability-based items improves, the number of people using illegal private servers will decrease."