The culture ministry will launch a massive crackdown on illegal "PC bangs" in cooperation with municipal governments from early next week, the ministry said Thursday.
A PC bang is a type of high-speed LAN gaming center, where patrons can play multiplayer computer games for a small hourly fee.
The crackdown follows a complaint from an association of PC bang operators that the description of the facilities in recent news reports as a hotbed of heinous crimes, including sex crimes against children, is spreading a negative image on the business in general.
They argue that their businesses should be distinguished from PC bangs for adult use only, reportedly frequented by criminals.
During the crackdown that will last till the end of this month, the authorities will check if operators of PC bangs properly abide by the law on online computer games.
By law, PC bang operators must install programs to shun access to porn and gambling sites on computers for use by patrons and allow in minors only from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
There are about 20,000 authorized PC bangs in Korea. They account for about 23.7 percent of sales by the gaming industry, according to ministry tallies.
"We hope a healthy business environment will be created through this guidance and crackdown efforts," the ministry said in a statement. (Yonhap)