South Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to expand its process of identifying and referring teenagers with gambling addiction for treatment. According to a Korea Herald report citing a ministry statement, this move aims to provide assistance ranging from early identification to treatment and rehabilitation.
The plans were discussed during Minister Won Min-kyung’s visit to the Korea Gambling Problem Agency in Seoul. The agency statistics showed that the number of teenagers who received gambling addiction treatment services in 2025 was 24.3%, while in 2021, it was 6.2%.
The ministry’s proposed improvements focus on the people and services involved in identifying young people who need help. Some of the aspects being considered include the training of youth counselors and staff members, ease of referral, and collaboration with specific treatment institutions.
Teenagers Account for a Larger Share of Service Users
The agency’s figures show a substantial change in the composition of its treatment service users. Teens represent almost 25% of the individuals seeking help from its gambling addiction services program in 2025, compared to a significantly smaller percentage in 2021.
These percentages reflect the teens’ share of the agency’s service, not the percentage of South Korean teens experiencing gambling addiction problems. The reported data concern people accessing the agency’s treatment services.
During the visit, there was a discussion regarding the ministry’s desire to improve assistance through the different levels of care. These include identifying the need for assistance, referring the teenager to the correct services, and access to treatment and rehabilitation.
Frontline Training Targets Earlier Detection
The target group for the proposed initiative includes youth counselors and frontline workers. The Ministry of Health seeks the provision of training that will enable them to identify cases of gambling addiction among young people.
The existing Youth Gambling Gatekeeper programme holds 5 training sessions each year for a total of 240 participants. The Korea Gambling Problem Agency assigns 2 specialized instructors to each session.
The programme provides an established training structure within the broader support system. The ministry’s plans place attention on the ability of workers who interact with young people to identify concerns and make appropriate referrals. This connects early detection and access to care. The goal here is not only about recognizing signs of addiction, but it also involves ensuring that teenagers have access to appropriate treatment facilities.
Furthermore, the ministry intends to simplify the referral process from youth counseling centers to treatment facilities. This would address the process through which young people move from initial counselling to more specialized assistance.
The parties discussed cooperation with a voluntary reporting system for teens involved in online gambling. This became another topic of the visit, aside from the possible improvements in detection, training, and referral programs.
Won said effective action on teenage gambling requires close cooperation between youth organizations and specialised treatment institutions. Her remarks emphasized coordination between services rather than treating each stage of assistance separately.
Annual School Survey Identifies At-Risk Students
Each year, the ministry surveys first-year middle and high school students to identify those at risk of developing addiction. The survey forms part of the existing approach to recognising students who may need assistance.
Students in need of assistance can first receive counseling from youth counseling centers and social welfare centers, then be referred to special institutions, linking the initial assistance to further care. The proposed changes in the referral system concern the transfer of patients from youth services to special treatment centers.
Source: ua.news
