TLDR
- South Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to expand how it identifies and refers teens with gambling addiction for treatment.
- Teenagers made up 24.3% of people using the Korea Gambling Problem Agency’s treatment services in 2025, up from 6.2% in 2021.
- The plan focuses on training youth counselors and frontline workers to spot gambling problems earlier.
- The ministry wants to simplify referrals from youth counseling centers to specialized treatment facilities.
- Officials also discussed working with a voluntary reporting system for teens involved in online gambling.
South Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to expand how it identifies teenagers with gambling addiction and refers them for treatment. The plan covers support from early detection through treatment and rehabilitation, according to a Korea Herald report citing a ministry statement.
The plans were discussed during a visit by Minister Won Min-kyung to the Korea Gambling Problem Agency in Seoul.
Agency figures show teenagers made up 24.3% of people who received its gambling addiction treatment services in 2025. In 2021, that share was 6.2%.
Teens Make Up a Larger Share of Treatment Users
The figures reflect teens’ share of the agency’s service users. They do not show the percentage of all South Korean teenagers with gambling problems.
That means nearly one in four people using the agency’s treatment services last year was a teenager. Four years earlier, it was closer to one in sixteen.
During the visit, officials discussed improving support at each stage of care. These stages include spotting a need for help, referring teens to the right services, and providing access to treatment and rehabilitation.
Training Frontline Workers to Spot Problems Early
The proposed changes focus on the people who work with young people. Youth counselors and frontline staff would receive training to help them recognize signs of gambling addiction.
The existing Youth Gambling Gatekeeper programme runs five training sessions each year for a total of 240 participants. The Korea Gambling Problem Agency assigns two specialized instructors to each session.
The ministry’s plans aim to link early detection with access to care. The goal is for workers to both notice warning signs and make proper referrals.
The ministry also wants to simplify referrals from youth counseling centers to treatment facilities. This covers how teens move from first counseling to more specialized help.
Officials also discussed working with a voluntary reporting system for teenagers involved in online gambling.
Won said tackling teen gambling requires close cooperation between youth organizations and specialized treatment institutions. Her remarks stressed coordination across services rather than handling each stage on its own.
Each year, the ministry surveys first-year middle and high school students to find those at risk of addiction. The survey is part of the current system for identifying students who may need support.
Students who need help can first receive counseling at youth counseling centers and social welfare centers. They can then be referred to specialized institutions for further care.
The proposed referral changes target this handoff from youth services to treatment centers. Following Won’s visit to the agency, the ministry’s plans now center on frontline training, easier referrals, and closer cooperation with treatment institutions.
