Korea Expands Probability-Based Item User Protection: What Game Publishers Should Know

Korea Is Expanding Its Probability-Based Item User Protection Framework

Korea continues to strengthen user protection around probability-based items, commonly known as loot boxes.

On September 28, 2026, the Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Seoul YMCA and the Korea Game Users Association to strengthen cooperation on game user rights and consumer protection.

The three organizations plan to cooperate in three key areas:

• campaigns and public initiatives for probability-based item user protection;
• joint responses to user damage and relief issues involving probability-based items; and
• joint research and information sharing on game user rights.

The MOU does not create a new compliance obligation for game publishers. However, it reflects Korea’s broader focus on user protection and damage relief in the probability-based item sector.

From Probability Disclosure to User Relief

Korea introduced mandatory probability disclosure requirements in March 2024.

Since then, regulatory attention has increasingly extended beyond whether probabilities are simply disclosed.

In 2026, GRAC began operating a Probability-Based Item User Damage Relief Center, while additional work has been underway to develop standards for assessing user damage related to probability-based items.

The latest cooperation with consumer and game user organizations reinforces this broader direction:

Disclosure → Verification → Damage Assessment → User Relief

For overseas publishers, this means probability-based item compliance should increasingly be viewed as part of a broader user protection framework.

What Should Overseas Game Publishers Check?

Publishers offering probability-based items in Korea should regularly review whether:

• disclosed probabilities match actual in-game settings;
• probability changes are reflected across Korean-facing disclosures;
• internal records of probability settings and updates are maintained; and
• Korean user complaints involving probability-based items can be identified and handled efficiently.

Small disclosure or operational inconsistencies may become more significant when they result in actual user complaints or alleged damage.

Key Takeaway

The September 28 MOU does not introduce a new legal requirement for overseas game publishers.

It does, however, show that Korea’s probability-based item policy is increasingly connected with user rights, damage relief, and cooperation with consumer organizations.

For overseas publishers, accurate probability disclosure remains essential—but effective user-response and compliance processes are becoming increasingly important as well.

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