Law against account boosting goes into effect in South Korea

Newsbrief: A law passed late year has gone into effect in South Korea that makes account boosting a crime punishable by fines up to $18,000 and a two-year suspended prison sentence.

The legislation aims to curb paid game progression services, which have become a lucrative business in South Korea.

According to a translation shared by industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, the illegality of certain aspects depend on the game developer’s stance on it, whether payment was made, and the frequency of the act.

Those same definitions list boosting (“the act of playing a client’s account in his or her stead and raising his or her points/achievements”), duo gaming (“the act of playing with a client (as a team or otherwise) and raising his or her points/achievements”), and advertising such services as actions that can be deemed illegal under the new law.