Youth gambling prevention week rallies public support in Seoul

An event for the Youth Gambling Prevention Week is held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Friday, co-hosted by the Ministry of Education and the National Gambling Control Commission. Courtesy of Kangwon Land

As part of a weeklong national campaign to address the growing threat of underage gambling, the Ministry of Education and the National Gambling Control Commission (NGCC) held an event in Seoul, Friday, presenting a united front against a problem that is increasingly affecting young Koreans.

Now in its second year, the Youth Gambling Prevention Week runs from May 12 to Sunday under the theme “Building a Social Safety Net to Prevent Youth Gambling.”

The campaign emphasizes that the issue is not a matter of individual behavior but a growing social concern that demands coordinated action across government, schools, families and the private sector.

The Seoul event at Dongdaemun Design Plaza served as the campaign’s centerpiece, following earlier regional events in Busan and Daejeon and convening relevant ministries, the gambling industry, youth-related organizations and private companies such as Kangwon Land and SportsToto Korea.

The program featured talks with experts, recovering gambling addicts, parents and public figures; a magic show by YouTuber Nicky; youth busking performances; and over 30 booths and hands-on activities operated by related organizations.

Vice Minister of Education Oh Seok-hwan vowed continued cooperation with related agencies to strengthen preventive efforts and support young people to grow up healthy and safe.

“We will do everything we can to ensure future generations are protected from the dangers of gambling,” he said.

NGCC Chairperson Shim O-taeg echoed the urgency, declaring 2025 as the “first year of eradicating youth gambling” and reaffirming the commission’s plan to expand cooperation with the Education Ministry.

"The temptation of gambling for youth is becoming increasingly sophisticated and sophisticated, and continuous and systematic preventive education is essential to prevent youth gambling," Shim said.

Throughout the week, schools across the country conducted gambling prevention education and awareness campaigns, in coordination with local education offices and the National Police Agency. School police officers also took part in sessions for middle and high school students.

To support these efforts, the Education Ministry has distributed response guidelines, screening tools and professionally developed content through partnerships with the Korea Center on Gambling Problems. The materials are designed to help schools implement structured and sustainable prevention programs.