Game Rating and Administration Committee
게임물관리위원회 게임物管理委員會 Geimmul Gwalli Wiwonhoe | |
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Video game content rating body overview | |
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Formed | 2006 (as Game Rating Board) |
Jurisdiction | South Korea |
Headquarters | Busan, South Korea |
Website | www |
Game Rating and Administration Committee | |
Hangul | 게임물관리위원회 |
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Hanja | 게임物管理委員會 |
Revised Romanization | Geimmul Gwalli Wiwonhoe |
McCune–Reischauer | Keimmul kwalli wiwŏnhoe |
The Game Rating and Administration Committee[a] (GRAC), formerly the Game Rating Board[b] (GRB) until December 23, 2013, is a South Korean video game content rating board. A governmental organization, the GRAC rates video games to inform customers of the nature of game contents.
Prior to the foundation of GRB, the Korea Media Rating Board rated video games like most other entertainment media. In 2006, the controversies surrounding the arcade gambling game Sea Story, which the Korea Media Rating Board found suitable for all-age, lead to allegations of misconduct. The Korean government responded by creating the GRB in 2006 and making it the only rating organization for rating video games in South Korea.[1][2][3][4]
The GRAC has been criticized as one of the elements of the Internet censorship in South Korea, and has been criticized for being the same as censorship of China.[5][6][7] By law, games sold in the country must be rated by GRAC prior to sale; additional regulations stipulate age and real name verification for certain mature-audience titles, as well as regulations on location-based games.[8]
In October 2022, the GRAC's sudden decision to raise the age rating of video games was accused of being an illegitimate policy, leading to an audit of the board suggested by Democratic Party politician Lee Sang-heon [ko].[9]
Age rating symbol
The GRAC currently uses four different age ratings.[10]
Rating | Description |
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![]() | ALL: Titles rated ALL have content that may be suitable for all ages.
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![]() | 12+: Titles rated 12+ have content that may be suitable for ages 12 and older.
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![]() | 15+: Titles rated 15+ have content that may be suitable for ages 15 and older.
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![]() | 19+: Titles rated 19+ have content restricted for ages 19 and older.
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![]() | TESTING: Game contents for testing with GRAC's permission before general release.
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Former rating
Rating | Description |
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![]() | 18+: Titles rated 18+ have content restricted for ages 18 and older.
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Content descriptors
Icon | Content descriptor | Description | Ratings |
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![]() | Sexuality | Contains references or explicit depictions of sexual behavior, possibly including nudity.[13] | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() | Violence | Contains references or scenes involving aggressive conflict, may contain blood scenes (realistic blood, gore, weapons, and depictions of human injury and death)/PvP or PK.[14] | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() | Fear, Horror, Threatening | Contains references or depictions of horrifying action.[15] | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() | Language | Contains references or explicit depictions of inappropriate language. (sexual, problematic social messages, abusive language, etc.)[16] | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() | Alcohol, Tobacco, Drug | Contains references or images of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, and/or illegal drug use.[17] | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() | Crime, Anti-societal | Contains references or images of crime, anti-societal, and/or anti-governmental messages.[18] | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() | Gambling | Contains references to gambling or betting (speculation), and/or simulated gambling.[19] | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
See also
- Video game content rating system
- Australian Classification Board (ACB)
- Brazilian advisory rating system
- Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO)
- Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
- Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK)
- Pan European Game Information (PEGI)
Notes
References
- ^ Myung Oh; James Larson (14 March 2011). Digital Development in Korea: Building an Information Society. Taylor & Francis. pp. 147–148. ISBN 978-1-136-81313-9.
- ^ "Sea Story scandal simmers". The Marmot's Hole. 2006-08-22. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
- ^ "South Korean PM apologizes for video game controversy". Taipei Times. 2014-08-19. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
- ^ "Blizzard's rush for cash?". The Korea Times. 2011-09-25. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
- ^ "Censorship in South Korea: Game over". The Economist. 2011-04-14. Archived from the original on 2014-08-20. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
- ^ "South Korea's Game Rating Board and The War on Online Content". The Marmot's Hole. 2010-09-07. Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
- ^ "Korea Blocks Facebook Game Apps". Koreanoodles. 2014-09-02. Archived from the original on 2014-09-05. Retrieved 2014-09-02.
- ^ jaripekka (25 January 2020). "South-Korea / How To Enable Digital Growth In Europe?". European Games Developer Federation.
- ^ 김, 주환. "민주 이상헌, '게임물관리위 전산망 비리의혹' 국민감사 청구". Naver News (in Korean). Retrieved 2023-07-12.
- ^ "Age Rating Symbol". Archived from the original on 2018-08-31. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
- ^ "Rating Guide". GAME RATING BOARD. Archived from the original on 2014-10-03. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
- ^ "Rating Guide". GAME RATING BOARD. Archived from the original on 2014-10-03. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
- ^ "GAME RATING and ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE". Retrieved 2020-11-15.
- ^ "GAME RATING and ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE". Retrieved 2020-11-15.
- ^ "GAME RATING and ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE". Retrieved 2020-11-15.
- ^ "GAME RATING and ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE". Retrieved 2020-11-15.
- ^ "GAME RATING and ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE". Retrieved 2020-11-15.
- ^ "GAME RATING and ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE". Retrieved 2020-11-15.
- ^ "GAME RATING and ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE". Retrieved 2020-11-15.
External links
- Official website (in Korean)
- Official English website (in English)
- v
- t
- e
- Australian Classification Board (Australia)
- CERO (Japan)
- Chilean Rating System (Chile)
- ClassInd (Brazil)
- ESRA (Iran)
- ESRB (US, Canada)
- FPB (South Africa)
- Game Rating and Administration Committee (South Korea)
- Game Software Rating Regulations (Taiwan)
- Gmedia (Saudi Arabia)
- IARC (online)
- Indonesian Game Rating System (Indonesia)
- iOS App Store (online)
- National Audiovisual Institute (Finland)
- OFLC (New Zealand)
- RARS (Russia)
- SMECCV (Mexico)
- PEGI (Europe, Israel)
- USK (Germany)
- Video Standards Council (United Kingdom)
- 3DO Rating System (US)
- BBFC** (UK)
- ICRA (online)
- Korea Media Rating Board
- NMC (United Arab Emirates)
- Recreational Software Advisory Council (US)
- SELL (France)
- Videogame Rating Council (US)
- *Not all of Europe uses the PEGI rating system.
- **The BBFC still exists as a motion picture rating system. Additionally, it continues to rate video games containing pornographic, or having external video material.