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More Korean Adults Addicted to Computer Games
By wchung | 23 Jun, 2025
The number of Korean adults aged 19-39 who are addicted to online games has surged to 866,000 or about 5.6 percent of all adults in that age bracket, according to a survey by the National Information Society Agency last year.
Many adult game addicts became hooked in their youth. Adult addiction is more serious because it is more difficult for families to take action. Fifty one of the 105 patients registered with a counseling and treatment center for gaming addicts at Chungang University Hospital in Seoul are over 20.
Han Duk-hyun, a professor of neuropsychiatry at Chungang University, said, “Parents can stop adolescents if they are excessively absorbed in games, but most of the adult addicts visit counseling centers only when their addiction becomes a serious health concern.”
Another problem is that efforts to find solutions are focused on adolescents, despite the increasing number of adult game addicts. From November, youngsters under 16 will be banned from playing online games between midnight and 6 a.m. But there is almost no debate about restricting adult game players.
“Most addicts in their 20s and 30s are chronic cases,” said Ahn Dong-hyun, a psychiatrist at Hanyang University College of Medicine. “You’d be mistaken to think that adults will not become addicted to games because they have self-control.”
Many adults immerse themselves in computer games to relieve the stress of unemployment or family trouble, but experts say addiction can lead to crime and family breakup.
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