Shutdown system

Shutdown (온라인게임 셧다운제) means "Turn off your PC and stop playing online games" manadated by the law.

On November 22, 2011, a new system called the shutdown law came into force to control and prevent online game addiction among teenagers. The shutdown law was adopted to ban those under the age of 16 from playing online games from midnight to 6 a.m.

This means that teenage gamers ― whose age and identity are known since they have to log in to play the games ― would be automatically disconnected after midnight. So the shutdown law is also referred to as the "Cinderella law." Mobile games are excluded from the restriction for the time being, but will be reconsidered in two years.

Key words
shutdown system, Cinderella law, teenager, online game addiction, Juvenile Protection Act

Shutdown Law
The shutdown system was introduced by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and passed by the National Assembly on April 29, 2011 to protect the next generation.

The shutdown law is stipulated in the Juvenile Protection Act invoking the Game Industry Promotion Act, but faces a petition in the Constitutional Court. The opponents argue that the measure violates the right to happiness and discriminates gaming against other leisure activities such as watching television. So the debates over the shutdown law remain to be decided by the judiciary just like the issue of obscenity via the Internet.

Pros and Cons
Some citizens support the shutdown system because:
 * 1) Unrestricted playing game after midnight is hazardous to teenagers’ health.
 * 2) Online games are highly addictive and, once addicted, teenagers cannot study, play or conduct normal social life. Psychologists say teens with signs of game addiction are more prone to have aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors than other kids. People who become addicted to online games are prone to violence, even when they are not playing.

Others are opposed to the shutdown system because:
 * 1) An attempt to block underage access to online computer games after midnight is unconstitutional as it violates a fundamental human right to pursue happiness.
 * 2) The shutdown system could stifle the growing gaming industry in Korea.
 * 3) The effectiveness of the shutdown system is doubtful as some loopholes remain.
 * Teenagers will play online games by using their parents’ ID numbers (Resident Registration Number).
 * The system is only applicable on a computer, not a game console or a smartphone. Some games like Starcraft 1 and Diablo 2 does not demand ID number, so it is impossible to distinguish juveniles from adults.
 * Online game developers may devise some expedient method to permit access to online games.