http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/culture/200402/kt2004021219363911700.htm
By Lisa Hanson
Contributing Writer
Pali, pali, hurry and rush comprise a dominant sentiment in Korean society, and this is one of the reasons 4.1 percent of the adult population is addicted to gambling. Two Seoul psychiatrists have pinned gambling on a nationwide urge to get rich quick and have begun to treat gambling addiction as an illness.
Psychiatrist Shin Young-chul at the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital compares gambling addiction to a disease suffered, not just a bad habit endured.
``Gambling is such a complex disorder,’’ Shin said. ``We have to deal with so many things for the pathological gambler. There are gambling, emotional, financial, medical and family problems.’’
Shin runs a gambling clinic on Saturdays from his office in the psychiatry department of the hospital. He started the clinic when he returned in 2000 from the University of Minnesota studying under Kim Won-suck, a leading figure in gambling addiction research. Shin has treated more than 300 gambling addicts and sees between 60 and 70 patients a year. His clinic is the only one of its kind in the country.
Shin and Lee Hyung-si, a psychiatrist from the Korea Institute of Social Psychiatry, attribute gambling addiction to the nation’s economic climate and a temperament they say characterizes many Koreans. They cite research that compares the number of gambling addicts to fanatics in other nations. Between 1 percent and 2 percent of adults are addicted to gambling worldwide. In Australia and New Zealand, where gambling is legal, 6 percent of the population is addicted. In South Korea, where only one casino exists for Koreans, the 4.1 percentage is relatively high, according to the psychiatrists.
A 1999 study of 700 adults found that 9.3 percent were addicted to horseracing. Other gambling pleasures here include bicycle racing, boat racing, Lotto, illegal game rooms and card games like baccarat, go-stop and poker. Since the only legal casino for Koreans, Kangwon Land, opened in 2000 in Chungsungun, Kangwon Province, the number of gambling addicts has steadily risen.
Increasing opportunities to gamble mixed with a general disposition among Koreans has contributed to gambling addiction. According to Lee, many Koreans are inclined toward short-term gratification rather than long-term planning.
``The Korean dream is to be a millionaire in one day,’’ Lee said. ``But there is no step-by step procedure. We start, jump first then think.’’
Lee said the get-rich-quick philosophy is rooted in the country’s history since the Korean War, when the nation was challenged to rebuild.
``Korea as a nation was far behind,’’ Lee said. ``To catch up, we feel we have to rush and push.’’
This impulse characterizes the action gambler, one of two kinds of gamblers, according to Shin. ``(Action gamblers) have an urge to gamble they cannot resist,’’ Shin said.
Action gamblers enjoy an energy rush that, if exposed to only once, can turn them into addicts.
``Action gambling is like alcohol or smoking for some people,’’ Shin said.
The other kind of addict is the escape gambler. ``They have so many emotional problems like depression or anxiety,’’ Shin said. ``During gambling, they can’t escape from emotional problems.’’
Shin said gambling should be treated as an illness that can be treated through medication and regular visits with a psychiatrist.
One of his patients agreed, saying his visits to the clinic keep him in line.
``The treatment gives me mental and emotional stability,’’ the 42-year-old patient said. ``Talking with doctors at ease is helpful and provides guidelines to my
By Lisa Hanson
Contributing Writer
Pali, pali, hurry and rush comprise a dominant sentiment in Korean society, and this is one of the reasons 4.1 percent of the adult population is addicted to gambling. Two Seoul psychiatrists have pinned gambling on a nationwide urge to get rich quick and have begun to treat gambling addiction as an illness.
Psychiatrist Shin Young-chul at the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital compares gambling addiction to a disease suffered, not just a bad habit endured.
``Gambling is such a complex disorder,’’ Shin said. ``We have to deal with so many things for the pathological gambler. There are gambling, emotional, financial, medical and family problems.’’
Shin runs a gambling clinic on Saturdays from his office in the psychiatry department of the hospital. He started the clinic when he returned in 2000 from the University of Minnesota studying under Kim Won-suck, a leading figure in gambling addiction research. Shin has treated more than 300 gambling addicts and sees between 60 and 70 patients a year. His clinic is the only one of its kind in the country.
Shin and Lee Hyung-si, a psychiatrist from the Korea Institute of Social Psychiatry, attribute gambling addiction to the nation’s economic climate and a temperament they say characterizes many Koreans. They cite research that compares the number of gambling addicts to fanatics in other nations. Between 1 percent and 2 percent of adults are addicted to gambling worldwide. In Australia and New Zealand, where gambling is legal, 6 percent of the population is addicted. In South Korea, where only one casino exists for Koreans, the 4.1 percentage is relatively high, according to the psychiatrists.
A 1999 study of 700 adults found that 9.3 percent were addicted to horseracing. Other gambling pleasures here include bicycle racing, boat racing, Lotto, illegal game rooms and card games like baccarat, go-stop and poker. Since the only legal casino for Koreans, Kangwon Land, opened in 2000 in Chungsungun, Kangwon Province, the number of gambling addicts has steadily risen.
Increasing opportunities to gamble mixed with a general disposition among Koreans has contributed to gambling addiction. According to Lee, many Koreans are inclined toward short-term gratification rather than long-term planning.
``The Korean dream is to be a millionaire in one day,’’ Lee said. ``But there is no step-by step procedure. We start, jump first then think.’’
Lee said the get-rich-quick philosophy is rooted in the country’s history since the Korean War, when the nation was challenged to rebuild.
``Korea as a nation was far behind,’’ Lee said. ``To catch up, we feel we have to rush and push.’’
This impulse characterizes the action gambler, one of two kinds of gamblers, according to Shin. ``(Action gamblers) have an urge to gamble they cannot resist,’’ Shin said.
Action gamblers enjoy an energy rush that, if exposed to only once, can turn them into addicts.
``Action gambling is like alcohol or smoking for some people,’’ Shin said.
The other kind of addict is the escape gambler. ``They have so many emotional problems like depression or anxiety,’’ Shin said. ``During gambling, they can’t escape from emotional problems.’’
Shin said gambling should be treated as an illness that can be treated through medication and regular visits with a psychiatrist.
One of his patients agreed, saying his visits to the clinic keep him in line.
``The treatment gives me mental and emotional stability,’’ the 42-year-old patient said. ``Talking with doctors at ease is helpful and provides guidelines to my
