[Crisis of K-Games, Part 1] The Gaming Industry Eroded by Illegality
- Input
- 2025-10-13 17:22:02
- Updated
- 2025-10-13 17:22:02
#. 177,100 cases. This is the number of illegal private game servers discovered over the past five years. During the same period, only 61 individuals faced legal punishment, with just five receiving prison sentences. Among them, the harshest sentence was handed down to an individual identified as 'A', who operated illegal private servers from 2018 to 2021 and earned over 26 billion KRW in criminal profits—he was sentenced to two years in prison. The remaining 56 received fines or suspended sentences. (Source: Office of Democratic Party lawmaker Im Oh-kyung)
The gaming industry is plagued by illegal private servers and unauthorized programs known as 'hacks.' Private servers, operated without authorization from game service providers, lure gamers and generate illicit profits, directly harming legitimate game companies. Hacks, which are rampant in survival games and other genres, ensure certain users avoid disadvantages, but game companies face clear limitations in responding to these threats in real time. While current laws penalize the creation and distribution of illegal private servers and programs, punishments are often lenient, and there are no explicit prohibitions for users, leaving a legal blind spot that needs to be addressed.■ From 'hacks' and 'macros' to illegal private servers... Undermining game companiesAccording to industry sources on the 13th, the issue of illegal private servers has resurfaced recently. These servers are created and operated by parties other than the official game company, mimicking existing games. This constitutes a criminal act. Not only do they infringe on the intellectual property (IP) of game companies, but they also sell paid items or run illegal gambling operations for profit. Notably, NCSoft and Nexon have reportedly suffered astronomical losses from illegal servers for flagship games such as Lineage, MapleStory, and The Kingdom of the Winds. According to the Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC), administrative actions against illegal private servers increased from 25,521 cases in 2023 to 52,164 in 2024. In the first half of this year alone, 36,206 cases were detected.
Illegal programs used by some gamers are also a major headache, with hacks and macros (bots) being the most common. These programs give certain users unfair advantages in competitive games or automate tedious tasks. As the use of illegal programs spreads, the enjoyment for other players drops significantly. In MMORPGs, excessive in-game currency supply can destabilize the game’s economy, leading to user attrition. Krafton reported that between September 1 and 5, over a one-month period, 217,720 accounts were penalized for using unauthorized programs in PUBG: Battlegrounds. Netmarble’s new MMORPG, Vampyr, released in August, has also seen users inconvenienced by illegal program issues.■ 'Sophistication, intelligence, and globalization' of game-related crimes... "Punishment should extend to users"The problem is that operators of illegal servers and sellers of unauthorized programs are becoming more organized and larger in scale. With many groups based overseas, investigations are challenging, and the low level of punishment means law enforcement agencies are often reluctant to take active measures. At a seminar held on the 29th of last month, Joonwon Jang, a specialist at Hwawoo LLC, noted, "These crimes are becoming increasingly sophisticated, intelligent, and globalized. However, the relevant laws remain weak, giving law enforcement little incentive to pursue investigations aggressively."
Industry voices are calling for stronger sanctions against suppliers of illegal programs and private servers, as well as expanding the scope of punishment to include users.
An industry insider commented, "While it may be difficult in practice to impose legal punishment on users, recognizing that simply using these services is clearly 'illegal' would significantly shift perceptions. These problems not only erode the gaming industry but also lead to secondary harm for users, making it essential for the government to step up efforts and discuss tougher penalties." Additionally, some argue that the issue of private servers should be addressed from the perspective of IP protection. As K-content rises in prominence, there is growing social interest in copyright protection for webtoons and dramas, but games seem to be left out of this conversation.
wongood@fnnews.com Joo Won-gyu Reporter