Tuesday, November 21, 2006

More than 6 percent of Korean adults are gambling addicts. Korea Leisure
Industry Center said that some 2,400,000 Koreans or 6.6 percent of the adult
population were addicted to gambling as of December last year. Among them,
79.2 percent were men while 33 percent were in their 40s. While blue-collar
workers made up 54.2 percent of the total, white-collar workers were 16.7
percent. Crimes by gamblers such as homicide, robbery, burglary, and
violence are increasing. Thirty-five percent of thefts and 40 percent of
non-violent crimes were related to gambling. Seo Chun-bum, a director of
Korea Leisure Industry Center, said the figure is now estimated to be much
more higher, after ``Sea Story,'' a gambling scandal that shocked the nation
last summer. Seo added that the legal gambling industry has suffered from
decreasing income since 2004, and pointed out the growing number of illegal
game rooms are the main reasons for the trend. He also stressed that the
government needs to get involved in the gambling industry more aggressively.
Pastor Kim Kyu-ho also said that he will protest against lawyers who show a
timid approach to gambling issues.