The Game Culture Foundation said on Aug. 3 it has newly formed the sixth Games Content Rating Board (GCRB) ratings panel and appointed Anyang University professor Seung-hoon Lee (이승훈) as the new chair.

The sixth panel, which began its term on July 27, expanded the recommending bodies from 8 to 16 organisations. It increased the share of experts in games, law and consumer protection to respond to growing needs for legal review, including adult-only ratings and court precedents on obscene material. It also lowered the panel’s average age to 44 from 54.

Lee, the newly appointed chair and a professor in Anyang University’s game content department, holds a doctorate in engineering from Soongsil University’s computer science department. He previously served as head of the Korea Game Developers Association and now also serves as an expert member of the Korea Consumer Agency’s Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee.

GCRB will pursue the second stage of transferring game ratings to the private sector in the second half of this year. Following the first-stage transfer on Nov. 1 last year, the second stage will introduce mobile platforms and a simplified review method.

Under the introduction of an optional review system, adult-only and 15-and-over ratings will be handled through the panel’s detailed review, while youth ratings (all ages, 12-and-over, 15-and-over) will be handled through simplified review. Under the plan, the statutory processing period will be shortened to 7 days from 15 days, and simplified reviews to 2 days. GCRB will also upgrade its system, including making reviews of similarity and overseas track records mandatory at the pre-review stage, disclosing guidelines, and clearly publishing on its website meeting minutes, operating performance, the annual meeting schedule and satisfaction survey results.

Lee said the sixth ratings panel will put expertise and trust first in line with a rapidly changing game industry environment and users’ expectations. He said it would fully prepare for the second-stage private-sector transfer planned for the second half and build a fair and efficient self-review system that both developers and users can agree with.

Byeong-han Yoo (유병한), chairman of the Game Culture Foundation, said the launch of the sixth GCRB panel and the push for the second-stage transfer to the private sector would be an important turning point for the domestic game industry’s self-review system to leap to an advanced-country level. He said the foundation would provide support so the creation of a healthy game culture and industry growth can be in harmony.