From K-Pop Star to High-Roller: Doyoung’s Instagram Exposes the Dark Side of Gambling, Inspiring Police to Launch Unconventional Awareness Campaign

National Police Agency Launches Campaign to Prevent Cyber Gambling Among Youth

daily life falling apart due to gambling. Courtesy of the National Police Agency” />

An Instagram account of a virtual teenager, ‘Park Do-young, 16 years old’, created by photoshopping the faces of teenagers who have been victims of cyber gambling. It shows the virtual teenager’s daily life falling apart due to gambling. Courtesy of the National Police Agency

Park Do-young, a 16-year-old virtual teenager, was created by the National Police Agency to raise awareness about the dangers of cyber gambling among youth. His story is a composite of real teenagers who have been victimized by cyber gambling. Park Do-young’s daily life appears ordinary at first, but as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that he is struggling with a serious addiction to cyber gambling.

The National Police Agency has launched a campaign to prevent and eradicate cyber gambling among youth, in collaboration with mobile financial service Toss. The campaign includes a public service advertisement video featuring Park Do-young’s story, as well as a service that informs users of suspicious gambling accounts and provides reporting methods.

Celebrities from various fields are participating in the campaign, including soccer players Lee Seung-woo, Park Joo-ho, and Lim Sang-hyeop, actors Shin Hyun-joon, Choi Hong-il, Joo Hyun-young, and Kim A-young, and broadcasters Kim Sung-joo and Lee Ji-ae. A ‘picket relay’ is also being held to spread the campaign, where participants take a certification photo holding a picket and nominate two next runners to post on social networking services (SNS).

Police Commissioner General George Ho, the first protagonist of the picket relay, requested Lee Seung-geon, CEO of Viva Republica, the operator of Toss, to join, and CEO Lee responded.

Kim Dong-kwon, a spokesperson for the National Police Agency, said, “This campaign is significant in that it went beyond piecemeal publicity and collaborated to improve the system. We will continue to pursue public-private collaboration in various fields in the future.”

<img src="https://thumbnews.nateimg.co.kr/view610///news.nateimg.co.kr/orgImg/kh/2024/09/23/news-p.v1.20240923.e30e2fbff95641cda95c63575627cc85P1.jpg” alt=”Police Commissioner General George Ho (left) and Viva Republica CEO Seung-Gun Lee participate in a picket relay to prevent and eradicate cyber gambling among youth. Courtesy of the National Police Agency” />

Police Commissioner General George Ho (left) and Viva Republica CEO Seung-Gun Lee participate in a picket relay to prevent and eradicate cyber gambling among youth. Courtesy of the National Police Agency