Lawmaker presses Constitutional Court on game censorship case

A National Assembly member of the People Power Party urged the Constitutional Court on October 22, 2026, to promptly rule on a constitutional petition challenging a censorship provision in the Game Industry Act, according to Inven. The lawmaker raised the issue during the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of the court.

The disputed clause is Article 32, Paragraph 2, Item 3 of the Game Industry Act, which bans games that excessively depict crime, violence or obscenity. According to the petitioners, a YouTuber and 210,751 others filed the constitutional petition on October 8, 2024, arguing the provision is unconstitutional. The petition was led by the Korea Game Users Association, and the case, 2024헌마909, was referred to the full bench on January 7, 2025 and remains pending.

The lawmaker argued that the provision amounts to prior censorship and that its wording is vague, and criticized the court for not resolving the case for over two years. He said this was the third time he had raised the case at a National Assembly audit.

In response, the Constitutional Court's secretary-general apologized for the delay and said he is reflecting on the failure to hold a speedy trial. He said the case is the first in which the prior censorship principle regarding games is applied, so there is internal opinion to judge more carefully, and that he understands oral arguments will be held soon. He also said statistics do not support the claim that the delay is due to the constitutional complaint system.