Sejong lawmaker calls for integrated youth gambling network
Kang Hae-jung proposed five measures covering prevention, early detection, treatment and support for young people.
Key takeaways:
- Sejong councillor Kang Hae-jung called for a citywide integrated safety net to prevent youth gambling.
- A national survey estimates that about 157,000 South Korean students have experienced gambling. The share of Sejong youth showing potential gambling-control problems rose from 4.8 per cent in 2024 to 6.4 per cent in 2025.
- Kang proposed annual surveys, participatory prevention education and regular training for caregivers along with integrated support from early detection through treatment.
South Korea.- Sejong councillor Kang Hae-jung has called for a comprehensive local network to address illegal online gambling among young people, combining prevention, early detection, treatment and community support. She argued that existing school-based surveys and prevention measures do not provide a complete picture of youth gambling across the city, particularly among young people outside the education system.
She has proposed five measures: annual comprehensive surveys that include out-of-school youth; expanded participatory prevention education such as discussions and role-playing; regular prevention education for caregivers; an integrated support system spanning early detection, professional treatment, and return to daily life; and a standing community consultative body for ongoing coordination.
Kang cited a national survey by the Korea Problem Gambling Prevention and Recovery Centre estimating that about 4 per cent of elementary, middle, and high school students have experienced gambling. During a recent National Police Agency voluntary reporting period for youth cyber gambling, 1,777 people came forward over about three months, including eight from Sejong.
Local screening data from the Sejong-Chungbuk Problem Gambling Prevention and Recovery Centre showed the share of Sejong youth who may struggle to control gambling rose from 4.8 per cent in 2024 to 6.4 per cent in 2025.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- How many South Korean students have experienced gambling? A national survey cited by Kang estimates that about 4 per cent of elementary, middle and high school students, or roughly 157,000 young people, have experienced gambling.
- What is the youth gambling rate in Sejong? Local screening data showed the share of Sejong youth who may have difficulty controlling gambling and appear to have experienced related harms increased from 4.8 per cent in 2024 to 6.4 per cent in 2025.
