Korea · the last ten years

Where did addiction in Korea go in ten years?

Addiction is not an individual moral failure but a structural risk signal for society as a whole. Each type is drawn from one representative national indicator, exactly as published.

Index view: each value ÷ the series' first value × 100, so the lead chart and the five strips share one scale. Display only — stored values stay exactly as published.

Drugs · Drug offenders apprehended (total) · Supreme Prosecutors' Office · 11 points · 2015–202523,403persons2025 · 2.0× the 2015 value of 11,916 persons
015,00030,0002015 · 11,916 persons2016 · 14,214 persons2017 · 14,123 persons2018 · 12,613 persons2019 · 16,044 persons2020 · 18,050 persons2021 · 16,153 persons2022 · 18,395 persons2023 · 27,611 persons2024 · 23,022 persons2025 · 23,403 persons2023 · 27,611 persons peak11,91623,40320152025
01252502015 · 1002016 · 1192017 · 1192018 · 1062019 · 1352020 · 1512021 · 1362022 · 1542023 · 2322024 · 1932025 · 1962023 · index 232 peak10019620152025
13.6%

2024 · −0.2pp vs 2023

KDCA · View original ↗

52.7%

2025 · −10.1pp vs 2024

Game usage rate · not an addiction indicator

KOCCA · View original ↗

Alcohol13.6%
2015 · 13.3%2016 · 13.8%2017 · 14.2%2018 · 14.7%2019 · 12.6%2020 · 14.1%2021 · 13.4%2022 · 14.2%2023 · 13.8%2024 · 13.6%
2015 · 13.3%2016 · 13.8%2017 · 14.2%2018 · 14.7%2019 · 12.6%2020 · 14.1%2021 · 13.4%2022 · 14.2%2023 · 13.8%2024 · 13.6%

Adult high-risk drinking rate

10 points · 2015–2024

Gambling4.8%
2015 · 5.1%2018 · 6.4%2020 · 2.4%2022 · 4.8%
2015 · 5.1%2018 · 6.4%2020 · 2.4%2022 · 4.8%

Youth gambling problem severity rate (at-risk + problem)

4 points · dashed = design change

Smartphone22.7%
2016 · 17.8%2017 · 18.6%2018 · 19.1%2019 · 20.0%2020 · 23.3%2021 · 24.2%2022 · 23.6%2023 · 23.1%2024 · 22.9%2025 · 22.7%
2016 · 17.8%2017 · 18.6%2018 · 19.1%2019 · 20.0%2020 · 23.3%2021 · 24.2%2022 · 23.6%2023 · 23.1%2024 · 22.9%2025 · 22.7%

Smartphone overdependence risk group rate (ages 3–69)

10 points · 2016–2025

Gaming52.7%
2016 · 67.9%2017 · 70.3%2018 · 67.2%2019 · 65.7%2020 · 70.5%2021 · 71.3%2022 · 74.4%2023 · 62.9%2024 · 62.8%2025 · 52.7%
2016 · 67.9%2017 · 70.3%2018 · 67.2%2019 · 65.7%2020 · 70.5%2021 · 71.3%2022 · 74.4%2023 · 62.9%2024 · 62.8%2025 · 52.7%

Game usage rate, past year (ages 10–64/65)

Game usage rate · not an addiction indicator · 10 points · dashed = design change

Tobacco16.7%
2015 · 22.6%2016 · 23.9%2017 · 22.3%2018 · 22.4%2019 · 21.5%2020 · 20.6%2021 · 19.3%2022 · 17.7%2023 · 19.6%2024 · 16.7%
2015 · 22.6%2016 · 23.9%2017 · 22.3%2018 · 22.4%2019 · 21.5%2020 · 20.6%2021 · 19.3%2022 · 17.7%2023 · 19.6%2024 · 16.7%

Adult current smoking rate

10 points · 2015–2024

No estimated values · every number is counted from the original source

How the lead chart is picked: of the six representative indicators, the type whose value moved most relative to its first value (|last − first| ÷ first). Series with a survey design change are left out, because values on either side of a break are not compared.

What the research says

What the research says · Statory library

For each type, approved cards are taken read-only from the Statory library. Sentences appear exactly as written on the card.

Alcohol

530 studies · 169 from Korea · 2002–2026

The 12-month prevalence rate of internet gaming disorder (IGD) was 0.8% and the 1-month prevalence rate of problematic game use was 8.4%. IGD was higher in men, younger people, unemployed, and in those with low physical activity, dissatisfaction with their quality of life, and who perceived more loneliness and social isolation.

Ko et al. · 2024 · South Korea

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Gambling

532 studies · 139 from Korea · 2000–2026

Bayesian t-tests comparing BART scores across reward conditions provided moderate to strong evidence for a null effect of condition on risk-taking (BF = 4.05–10.64). Null effects were not moderated by players' problem gambling symptomatology.

D'Amico et al. · 2022 · Country not stated

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Drugs

224 studies · 44 from Korea · 2002–2026

Monthly OUD prevalence in participating facilities ranged from 28 to 65% of the population. The proportion of individuals with OUD who received MAT ranged considerably from 9 to 61%.

Ferguson et al. · 2019 · United States

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Smartphone

373 studies · 145 from Korea · 2001–2026

The overall prevalence of IA among school children was 19.8%. IA was significantly more common among males (56.4%) than females (43.6%; p=0.035).

Bener et al. · 2016 · Qatar

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Gaming

130 studies · 33 from Korea · 2007–2026

Internet gaming addiction and personality characteristics varied according to the game genre played (ANOVA). RTS and FPS users had higher levels of tolerance, withdrawal, and neglect of everyday life than RPG, Racing, and Arcade/Shooting users.

Kim et al. · 2022 · South Korea

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Tobacco

79 studies · 13 from Korea · 2002–2026

Five inductive themes emerged about smoking on campus during policy implementation. Themes included watering down of the policy if not enforced and creation of hot spots on campus boundaries.

Sendall et al. · 2020 · Country not stated

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8,270 addiction papers · 1,971 open full texts · 2,422 in the last five years

Library size — counted by the Statory library from Europe PMC records · sum of 2 topics (Youth gambling · Alcohol recovery) · a paper in both topics may be counted twice

Who is in charge

Korea's response to addiction is split across six ministries

Each type of addiction — alcohol, gambling, internet, gaming, drugs — falls under a different ministry and a different implementing agency.

Addiction typeMinistry in chargeImplementing agency
Alcohol & drugs (treatment)Ministry of Health and Welfare63 Addiction Management Support Centers
GamblingPrime Minister's OfficeNGCC → Korea Center on Gambling Problems
Internet & smartphoneMinistry of Science and ICTSmart Rest Centers (internet addiction counseling)
GamingMinistry of Culture, Sports and TourismGame Overindulgence Healing Centers
Drugs (investigation)Prosecution · Police · Customs · Coast GuardJoint Investigation HQ on Drug Crimes
Drugs (prevention)Ministry of Food and Drug SafetyKorean Association Against Drug Abuse
"Each ministry operates under different laws, which makes it hard to build a cooperative framework."
— Ministry of Health and Welfare official, 2025 parliamentary audit

With separate legal mandates and data systems, even information sharing is impossible — and no integrated system exists to support a single adolescent continuously from initial counseling through treatment and aftercare.

What has come out

Recent releases and broadcasts, and what comes next

The five most recent releases and broadcasts the observatory detected, and the next dates on the release calendar.

Latest five

Full timeline →

Next releases

Release calendar →

Where to get help

73 recovery resources · 18 regions

Search by region or organisation name, or see how many places each region has.

  • Gyeonggi11
  • Gyeongnam6
  • Gwangju6
  • Daejeon6
  • Incheon6
  • Gangwon5
See all 18 regions →
  • Gyeonggi11
  • Gyeongnam6
  • Gwangju6
  • Daejeon6
  • Incheon6
  • Gangwon5
  • Seoul5
  • Busan4
  • Jeonbuk4
  • Gyeongbuk3
  • Daegu3
  • Ulsan3
  • Jeju3
  • Jeonnam2
  • Chungnam2
  • Chungbuk2
  • Gyeonggi South1
  • Gyeonggi North1
Addiction Society · evidence, indicators and timeline for the field of addictionSources are given with each chart and table · no estimated values

Sources monitored 24 · indicators 11 · policy documents 23 · recovery resources 73