Government Fully Transfers Game Rating Authority of Game Rating Board to Private Sector

Complete Autonomy in Game Rating Classification in 3 Stages
Expanding Types Including Mobile and Adult Games to Explore Potential

The government has decided to fully transfer the game rating classification function, which was virtually considered the exclusive authority of the Game Rating and Administration Committee, to the private sector. Although there have been attempts at the National Assembly level to amend the law for private sector transfer, this is the first time the government has expressed its intention to transfer the function. The plan is to first expand the scope of private consignment for rating classification and achieve complete private transfer in the mid to long term.

On the 30th, President Yoon Seok-yeol announced a plan titled "Creating a Game Industry Ecosystem that Enhances the Rights and Interests of Game Users" at the 'Public Livelihood Discussion with the People' meeting, outlining these details.

It has been pointed out that among major countries, only China and South Korea have government-affiliated agencies responsible for game rating classification and prohibit the distribution of games without prior review. In fact, major gaming powerhouses such as the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, and France have private review organizations or application (app) market operators autonomously handling game reviews rather than government agencies.

Ko Jin, Chairman of the Digital Platform Government Committee, stated in a work report, "In the short term, we will expand the scope of private consignment for rating classification, and in the mid to long term, we will promote amendments to the Game Industry Act to enable private entities to handle game rating classification, similar to the United States and the United Kingdom, through complete private transfer of rating classification authority."

The private transfer will be divided into three stages. First, mobile game rating classification will be additionally consigned to the private rating classification agency, the Game Content Rating Board (GCRB). Until now, mobile games were excluded from GCRB's rating classification authority.

The next stage is to additionally consign youth-restricted games (excluding gambling simulation and arcade games) to the GCRB. The plan is to expand private review and verify the possibility of complete private autonomy.

The final stage is the complete autonomy of game rating classification. The plan is to realize fully autonomous private rating classification through additional amendments to the Game Industry Act and the incorporation of the GCRB as a separate legal entity.

Additionally, the government has prepared measures to protect game users' rights and interests, such as a probability-type item information disclosure system, designation of dedicated investigation personnel for small-scale fraud, and introduction of a consent decree system, to resolve unfairness within the game industry and create a game ecosystem that meets global standards.

In line with the probability-type item information disclosure system, which will be fully implemented from March 22, a dedicated monitoring team for probability-type items (24 members from the Game Rating and Administration Committee) will be established. Through this, they plan to crack down on legal violations such as failure to disclose probability information and false probability display.

Furthermore, policies will be promoted to protect users from so-called 'eat-and-run games,' where game companies unilaterally terminate game services early, and to strengthen accountability for unfair practices by overseas game companies. By revising the standard terms and conditions for online and mobile games, it will be mandatory to operate a dedicated refund window for at least 30 days even after game service termination. A domestic agent system will be introduced under the Game Industry Act and the Electronic Commerce Act to impose the same user protection obligations on overseas game companies as domestic ones.

To eradicate game item fraud, the number of dedicated investigation personnel for game fraud will be significantly expanded in police stations nationwide. Considering that victims of game item fraud are mainly teenagers and people in their twenties, 200 dedicated investigators for game item fraud will be assigned across 150 police stations nationwide, and victim-centered investigations will be conducted to shorten the processing period for game fraud cases.