[Suwan News = Reporter Kim Dong-ju] The Korea Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Gambling Problems (Director Shin Mi-kyung, hereinafter “the Center”) held the “2026 Student Gambling Problem Prevention Superintendents’ Council” on Friday, March 13, with attendance from superintendents in charge of student gambling problem prevention from city and provincial offices of education nationwide, as well as officials from the Ministry of Education.
This meeting was organized to strengthen the close cooperative network with education authorities—which has been in place for seven years since 2020—and, in particular, to enhance schools’ ability to respond to the “mandatory twice-yearly student gambling prevention education” program, which will be fully implemented starting this May.
The meeting was attended by a full complement of participants, including educational supervisors from the 17 metropolitan and provincial offices of education nationwide, officials from the Ministry of Education, representatives from the Integrated Supervisory Commission for the Gambling Industry, and the directors of the nationwide Gambling Problem Prevention and Treatment Centers under the Prevention and Treatment Institute, who gathered to discuss practical solutions to youth gambling problems. The main agenda items were as follows.
① (Responding to Legislative Amendments and Promoting a Culture of Prevention) Discussed plans to incorporate into the academic calendar the mandatory implementation of student gambling prevention education twice a year, and shared plans to launch a nationwide joint online and offline campaign in conjunction with the “3rd Youth Gambling Problem Prevention Week” in the third week of May.
② (Review of Tailored Strategies Based on the Survey) Share the results of the “2025 Survey on Youth Gambling Issues” with each metropolitan and provincial office of education, and review tailored prevention strategies for each region and school to address the rapidly changing environment surrounding youth gambling.
③ (Strengthening Referrals to Treatment and Specialized Services) When students at risk of gambling are identified, they will be immediately referred to one of the 15 regional gambling problem prevention and treatment centers nationwide, thereby strengthening a community-based support system that ensures they receive specialized counseling and tailored treatment programs without delay.
In particular, this council meeting focused extensively on measures to “strengthen the support system for prevention education tailored to school settings.” To alleviate the burden on schools resulting from the mandatory implementation of twice-yearly education, the Prevention and Treatment Center decided to actively pursue the following measures: ▲ distributing standard educational curricula by grade level; ▲ expanding training programs to enhance teacher expertise; and ▲ expanding the operation of “Gambling Problem Prevention Model Schools.”
Shin Mi-kyung, director of the Prevention and Healing Center, stated, “The mandatory implementation of two gambling prevention education sessions per year, set to begin this May, will mark a major turning point in the fight against youth gambling,” and “We will actively incorporate feedback from field supervisors at city and provincial offices of education and focus all our efforts on ensuring our students can grow up in a safe educational environment, free from the temptations of gambling,” she added.
The Korea Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Gambling Problems is a public institution that prevents gambling problems and provides counseling services; it operates 15 regional centers nationwide. Anyone—including individuals with gambling problems and their families—can access support via: △Phone: 1336 (no area code required, toll-free), △ chat or message board counseling at kcgp.or.kr (the organization’s website), △ text message to #1336, or △ the KakaoTalk chatbot (add “Korea Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Gambling Problems” as a friend) to receive free counseling.
Kim Dong-ju, Reporter
