TY  - JOUR
AU  - Yang, Hengran
AU  - Duan, Xingzhao
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/13
TI  - Innovation by Constraint: The Unintended Effects of Korean Videogame Governance
JO  - Journal of Social Systems and Policy Analysis
T2  - Journal of Social Systems and Policy Analysis
JF  - Journal of Social Systems and Policy Analysis
VL  - 3
IS  - 2
SP  - 100
EP  - 108
DO  - 10.62762/JSSPA.2025.735971
UR  - https://www.icck.org/article/abs/JSSPA.2025.735971
KW  - South Korean game industry
KW  - industrial policy
KW  - game regulation
KW  - shutdown law
KW  - innovation
KW  - mobile gaming
AB  - South Korea's ascent as a video game titan is not a simple narrative of state-led industrial success. This paper analyzes the dualistic nature of the Korean government's game policy, from the post-financial crisis ``informatization'' drive and the foundational Game Industry Promotion Act, to restrictive regulations such as the ``Shutdown Law'' and debates on game addiction. The core argument is that this paradoxical policy environment—simultaneously fostering innovation while imposing social controls—created unique evolutionary pressure. This pressure inadvertently accelerated the industry's pivot to mobile platforms, refined hyper-competitive monetization models, and drove an aggressive global export strategy as a hedge against domestic regulatory risks. By examining key legislative milestones, market data, and corporate strategies, this paper demonstrates how the friction between promotion and restriction acted as a catalyst, ultimately shaping today's technologically advanced, commercially aggressive, and resilient South Korean gaming industry.
SN  - 3068-5540
PB  - Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge
LA  - English
ER  - 

@article{Yang2026Innovation,
  author = {Hengran Yang and Xingzhao Duan},
  title = {Innovation by Constraint: The Unintended Effects of Korean Videogame Governance},
  journal = {Journal of Social Systems and Policy Analysis},
  year = {2026},
  volume = {3},
  number = {2},
  pages = {100-108},
  doi = {10.62762/JSSPA.2025.735971},
  url = {https://www.icck.org/article/abs/JSSPA.2025.735971},
  abstract = {South Korea's ascent as a video game titan is not a simple narrative of state-led industrial success. This paper analyzes the dualistic nature of the Korean government's game policy, from the post-financial crisis ``informatization'' drive and the foundational Game Industry Promotion Act, to restrictive regulations such as the ``Shutdown Law'' and debates on game addiction. The core argument is that this paradoxical policy environment—simultaneously fostering innovation while imposing social controls—created unique evolutionary pressure. This pressure inadvertently accelerated the industry's pivot to mobile platforms, refined hyper-competitive monetization models, and drove an aggressive global export strategy as a hedge against domestic regulatory risks. By examining key legislative milestones, market data, and corporate strategies, this paper demonstrates how the friction between promotion and restriction acted as a catalyst, ultimately shaping today's technologically advanced, commercially aggressive, and resilient South Korean gaming industry.},
  keywords = {South Korean game industry, industrial policy, game regulation, shutdown law, innovation, mobile gaming},
  issn = {3068-5540},
  publisher = {Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge}
}