South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism posted Notice No. 2022-7, titled "Notice on Programs Blocking Obscene Materials and Speculative Game Items," on 22 February 2022, with an effective date of 28 March 20221. The notice sits in the ministry's category for directives, examples and public notices (훈령·예규·고시)1.
The posting lists the responsible department as the Game Content Industry Division, with the contact number 044-203-2446, and names an official, Lee Jang-woo, as the person in charge1. The notice page records 2,581 views1. The full text was published as an attached Hangul word processor file, "제2022-7 음란물 및 사행성게임물 차단 프로그램 고시.hwp," of 54KB, and the page directs readers to that attachment for the details1.
"게시일 2022.02.22."
"시행일 2022.03.28."
The notice's title covers two categories of content: obscene material and speculative game items (사행성게임물), the term used in Korean law for game products that carry a gambling-like character1. The notice concerns blocking programs for those categories rather than any single operator, site or game1. The attached file's contents, including any technical standards, thresholds or list of covered programs, are not reproduced on the notice page and have not been reported here1.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Notice number | No. 2022-71 |
| Posted | 22 February 20221 |
| Effective | 28 March 20221 |
| Issuing body | Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism1 |
| Responsible department | Game Content Industry Division, 044-203-24461 |
| Attachment | 제2022-7 음란물 및 사행성게임물 차단 프로그램 고시.hwp, 54KB1 |
What it means for players
The notice concerns blocking programs, meaning software used to filter or block access to obscene material and speculative game items1. For anyone gambling in South Korea, whether a resident, an expat or a visitor, the practical effect depends on how such blocking programs are deployed by the bodies that run them, and the notice page does not set out those deployment details1. South Korea already treats most forms of gambling as restricted, with limited legal channels; the background to that framework is set out in the site's guide to gambling in South Korea and its page on betting on sports in South Korea. The wider regional picture, including how blocking and payment rules differ across Asia, is covered in the guide to online gambling in Asia.
What happens next
The notice took effect on 28 March 2022, the date given on the posting1. No further steps, reviews or amendments have been reported1.
