On the 15th, President Lee Jae-myung said, “Our government’s aim is to make the Republic of Korea a global cultural-industry powerhouse, and I believe a vital part of that cultural industry is the game industry.”

Attending the “K-Game On-site Roundtable,” held at the PUBG Seongsu headquarters under the theme “Level Up to the World’s No. 3 Game Powerhouse,” President Lee opened by saying, “It’s a real pleasure to meet the people running our game companies and operations, as well as our pro gamers,” before continuing with his remarks. CEOs from major publishers—including Nexon, KRAFTON, Netmarble, and NCSoft—were present.

Addressing NCSoft CEO Kim Taek-jin directly, the president said, “It’s truly been a long time. It seems things have been difficult for you lately,” recalling his past tenure as mayor of Seongnam. “Back when I was in Seongnam, we took a strong interest in issues related to equity stakes in the game industry, had many conversations, and provided policy support. The Seongnam–Pangyo area holds a very large share in this sector, does it not?”

He went on to criticize the approach of previous administrations that classified games as one of the “four major addictions,” saying, “Because policy leaned toward suppression rather than support, I can’t help but think that we were overtaken after once leading China.”

On concerns about excessive gaming, he urged a shift in perception by citing comic books as an example. “When I was young, reading comic books was seen as something kids who didn’t study did. I used to go chasing after my younger brother when he wouldn’t come out of the comic-book shop,” he said. “But now comics, animation, and webtoons have grown into another major industry, haven’t they?”

“Games are, after all, games,” he continued. “When something is fun, you become deeply immersed; without immersion, it isn’t a game. We should address and resolve any side effects as side effects. People will inevitably have more and more leisure time in the future—the question is how they will spend it. I think we should turn that into an opportunity.” He added, “We mustn’t abandon an entire field simply because there are issues. You don’t go and get rid of the crocks for fermented sauces just because there are a lot of thieves,” employing a familiar proverb.

The president assessed that the game industry can make a sizable contribution to creating high-quality jobs for young people. “It’s certainly gratifying when a game succeeds, and revenue and operating profit soar from the operator’s perspective,” he said. “But my interest is in whether the young staff—the youth working in this industry—are gaining benefits and opportunities commensurate with that success.”

On the contentious issue of developers’ working hours, he struck a balanced tone. Referring to calls from some developers for periods of “intensive work,” he noted, “Workers participating in development won’t say such things in front of the boss, but behind the scenes they say they’re dying. There’s even a term for when the lights never go out.”

“It’s our job to ensure that young employees, the youth we hire, do not find their most basic human rights unprotected, are not treated as expendable, and are never discarded,” he said. “We need to resolve these two conflicting issues with greater wisdom.”

Citing an example, the president said, “I hear that PUBG: Battlegrounds generated 2.7 trillion won in revenue last year, yet perhaps only a few hundred people are directly employed there.” He emphasized, “This greatly contributes to creating national wealth. For a country like Korea that lacks natural resources and lives on exports, game exports seem to me to be truly genuine exports.”

Closing his remarks, President Lee urged attendees to “take pride in being the backbone of Korea’s cultural industry, and work with courage and passion,” adding, “(Games are) not addictive substances.”

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.