Recently, China’s implementation of a law limiting gaming hours for minors (under 18 years old) has caused significant upheaval in the country’s esports scene. A multitude of organizations and esports tournaments have been forced to suspend players under 18, notably the Chinese League of Legends tournament – LDL.
The announcement of this law has led the Chinese gaming community to genuinely worry about the severe decline in the quality of the country’s esports scene in the future, as young talents in esports now have “no place to belong.”
Meanwhile, the South Korean government has surprisingly taken a new action that is almost entirely opposite to China’s. South Korean media reports that the country is currently considering repealing the “Youth Protection Act.” This law includes a provision: “Prohibiting minors under 16 from playing games during the hours of 12:00 AM to 6:00 AM daily.
Game publishers in South Korea are obligated to cut off all online game connections during this time for customers under 16 years old. Any company that violates this will have its leader sentenced to less than 2 years in prison or fined 10 million won or more.”
According to the South Korean government, the repeal of this law is due to its lack of practical value, as well as its ineffectiveness in “protecting minors.” Additionally, the law has several limitations compared to the current societal changes.
In fact, the “Youth Protection Act” was enacted in 2011 and was valid for 10 years. However, based on the aforementioned research, the South Korean government has decided not to extend this law and will repeal it after the 10-year validity period ends (at the end of 2021).
In light of this information, many netizens believe that the action from the South Korean government is likely influenced significantly by the current situation in China. The weakening of Chinese esports due to the age limit gaming law is evident, prompting South Korea to take this opportunity to boost the development of esports domestically, aiming to dominate the position of the number one esports powerhouse.