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S.Korean jailed for killing mother over gaming addiction
(AFP) – 3 hours ago



South Korea has announced tougher rules to combat Internet gaming addiction

SEOUL — A South Korean court on Friday sentenced an Internet addict to 20 years in prison for killing his mother after she criticised his online gaming habit. The 22-year-old was arrested in February on charges of clubbing his 53-year-old mother to death at her home. Prosecutors had sought the death sentence.

In March a 32-year-old man died after playing on the Internet for five days with few breaks. A similar incident was reported involving a 28-year-old man in 2005. In May, a 41-year-old man was sentenced to two years in jail after he and his wife left their daughter to die while raising a "virtual child" on the Internet.

Official data estimates the highly-wired nation has two million web addicts, or almost one in 10 online users. South Korea has announced tougher rules to combat Internet gaming addiction. From September, major game operators will introduce a "fatigue system" encouraging players to switch off, while younger users will be limited to a time period set by a parent or guardian.

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