8 million Koreans addicted to something negatively

By Lee Ji-eun

“Sportsmen have proceeded with schemes to fix matches in baseball, following soccer games. This is a kind of addiction phenomenon, presumed to be widely spread in every corner of our society. We have joined hands to prevent our nation from being an addiction republic.”

Cho Hyeon-seop, 50, made the remarks, upon launching a nationwide campaign center on the prevention of a variety of addictions at the National Assembly, Tuesday. Jo had served as the chief of the addiction prevention and cure center under the Prime Minister’s Office.

She has embarked on a “war against addiction.” An estimated 1,500 experts and 16 civic groups, including a group of victims of gambling, the campaign headquarters on the expulsion of Internet gambling, and a group of alcohol addiction survivors, have decided to fight together against a variety of addictions. As an expert in preventing addiction and curing addicts, she has agreed to lead the body.

She said that the addiction is much more serious that the general public thinks. “How many addicts do you think are here in Korea?” asked Cho, who has been engaged in curing addicts to alcohol and gambling for the past 23 years.

“There are about 8 million addicts in a variety of sectors, about 16 percent of the nation’s total population ­ 2.3 million gambling addicts, 1.7 million Internet addicts, 1.6 million alcohol addicts, 1.5 million drug addicts and 800,000 game addicts.”

As a doctorate psychiatrist, she had served as the chief of the technology support at the National Alcohol Council Center designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and a professor at the College of Nursing at Seoul National University.

She said if family members are counted, those suffering from addiction both directly and indirectly accounts for nearly half of the population.

The addition rate is far higher than those in advanced countries. “If the current trend persists, all people could become gambling addicts,” said Cho.

She cited a lack of government policy and entertainment as major factors leading Korea to become “the nation of addiction.” “For example, let’s look at the casino in Kangwon Land. The government (the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) is a promoter of a casino and simultaneously a regulator of gambling. How well does the government supervise the casino?” she asked. “Actually, the government has no medium- and long-term plan for addicts.”

Cho also said that she can hardly understand why the government does not control Internet gambling sites, while the rapidly growing Sports Toto betting population has become a social problem.

“The authorities concerned seem to have no intention to increase funds to rehabilitate addicts despite the rapid growth in numbers, as well as no effective policies,” she said. “This has caused economic losses as much as hundreds of trillions of won nationwide every year, including 78 trillion won in gambling and 21 trillion won in alcohol addiction.”

“Their role is clear. They have to diagnose what causes people to be addicted to something bad and to create a variety preventive measures and cures. They would be able to create a synergy effect by cracking down and joining hands with civic groups.

Cho pointed out that it is more important to prepare systematic support. “We could curb the growth of the addicted population if the system is rooted deep although it is necessary for many people to join in rehabilitation activities,” she said. “The government has to seek legislation and a system under which addicts can stand on their own feet after surviving.”

The writer is a Korea Times intern.