This file photo shows a person playing online games at an internet cafe in Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — As fear of recent stabbing rampages spreads throughout South Korea, the debate surrounding gaming and its potential impact on violence resurfaces.
Just last week, the prosecution apprehended Cho Seon, a 33-year-old individual responsible for the deadly stabbing rampage near Sillim Station in southern Seoul that occurred last month.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office revealed that Cho had been addicted to games, devoting most of his eight months after losing his job to playing and watching videos about games.
In describing Cho’s method of jogging up to victims from behind and launching assaults with a focus on lethal areas, the prosecution stated that Cho approached the assaults as if he were in a first-person shooter game.
Nonetheless, the gaming industry is concerned about once again shouldering the blame for violent crimes, particularly in light of the 2000s when games were consistently scapegoated every time a violent or juvenile crime occurred.
“Throughout life, individuals learn about violence and may develop antisocial personalities through various channels. Singling out games as the sole cause is unjust,” said Lee Jae-hong, a professor at Soongsil University and chairman of the Korea Game Society.
Although it may be tempting to connect knife attacks with game addiction, this perspective distracts from the issue of the inadequate social safety net, which has been implicated in the emergence of socially isolated individuals like Cho.
“Our initial focus should be on the factors that drove Cho to turn to games for over eight months, as well as why no intervention occurred before he committed a crime,” said Dr. Lee Jang-ju, an expert in cultural and social psychology.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
