[Column] Presidential Impeachment That Also Lost the Game Industry Promotion

President Yoon Seok-yeol declared from the early days of his administration that he would make South Korea a “gaming powerhouse” by prioritizing the game industry as a key national agenda. Earlier this year, at a public discussion on people’s livelihoods, President Yoon stated, “The annual revenue of the game industry has surpassed 22 trillion won, boasting a market size that overwhelmingly exceeds content industries such as film and music,” adding, “It is an industry that the nation must focus on nurturing intensively.”

However, after President Yoon’s impeachment, the current government’s policies related to the game industry have rapidly lost momentum. In May, the government announced the ‘Comprehensive Plan for the Promotion of the Game Industry’ with the goal of enhancing global competitiveness, but concrete implementation plans or follow-up measures have become difficult to expect.

President Yoon’s opposition to including gaming in the disease code also disappeared along with his impeachment. The game industry and gamers have long expressed concerns that registering gaming as a disease code could hinder the growth of the game industry and deepen negative perceptions. Within the government, opinions are divided over whether to register gaming as a disease. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is effectively in favor, while the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism opposes it.

Before taking office, President Yoon personally stated, “Gaming is not a disease,” leaning more toward the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s position. However, with no conclusion reached and his impeachment, the situation has become ambiguous. If the controversy prolongs without policy follow-up, the negative impact on the entire industry could grow even larger.

Fostering e-sports and introducing a regional affiliation system were also among the major pledges President Yoon made. The regional affiliation system was promoted with the intent to create an e-sports ecosystem centered around each region, linking industrial growth with balanced development. Although it raised expectations among the industry and e-sports fans, if policy continuity is not maintained, efforts to build such an ecosystem, including the introduction of the regional affiliation system, are likely to end in vain.

In addition, the Yoon Seok-yeol administration pursued various support policies such as establishing a dedicated organization for small-scale game fraud and setting up a Game Accessibility Promotion Committee. These policies have also lost momentum following the impeachment.

Industry anxiety is growing further in connection with the outlook for the game market next year. Next year is a crucial time when major domestic game companies aim to rebound through global market expansion and the release of AAA-level console games. AAA-level refers to large-scale productions with massive budgets. Game companies are preparing new lineups and continuing efforts to enhance competitiveness in the global market.

This requires government policy support and institutional backing. However, regardless of whether the Constitutional Court upholds the impeachment of President Yoon, it is unlikely that policy support will be expected at least until the first half of next year. Domestic game companies will inevitably face limitations in maintaining their status in the global market. To overcome the unstable policy vacuum caused by the impeachment and ensure sustainable industry growth, it is necessary for the government and industry to meet separately and devise solutions.