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How many children have died due to addiction to Korean games so far? This question is very serious, especially after the recent death of three real sisters (12, 14 and 16 years) in Ghaziabad. This incident happened on 4 February 2026, where the three sisters committed suicide by jumping from the 9th floor. Police investigation revealed that she was addicted to a task-based online game named ‘Korean Lover Game’. This game is inspired by Korean culture, which consists of 50 tasks, and some tasks can be very dangerous or emotional. The children had started considering themselves Korean, and when their parents snatched their mobile phones or scolded them, they became so upset that they took this step.

It was written in the suicide note, ‘Sorry Papa, Korean is our life… We are very alone… Don’t separate us from this, otherwise we will commit suicide.’ This is not just one case. There have been many deaths in India due to online gaming addiction (especially mobile games like Free Fire, BGMI/PUBG, and now Korean task games). But deaths directly to the ‘Korean Games’ are less, most of the cases are from Indian or International Games.

Gaming addiction situation in Korea

South Korea is the most gaming country in the world. Internet and gaming spread very fast there, but at the same time addiction also became a big problem. Government reports and studies show: There were several high-profile cases in the 2000s where people died while playing games.

• According to a Time Magazine report, 10 deaths in 2005 were reported to be gaming-.
• According to CNN, Guardian reports, in 2010, a couple starved their 3-month-old baby to death while playing an online game (Prius Online), because they were engaged in taking care of the virtual child. Both were convicted of negligent homicide.
• A 28-year-old man played StarCraft for 50 hours straight and died of a heart attack.
• According to PMC study, 23 cases of sudden death while playing games were reported from 2002-2021, mostly non-violent.
• According to Vice, Reuters, Internet addiction among children aged 10 to 19 reached 10-12%, and gaming was the main reason in 90% of cases.
• The government made ‘Cinderella Law’, in which children under 16 years of age were banned from playing games between 12 and 6 in the night. Many treatment centers were opened, where 25% of addicted children are hospitalised.
• Deaths due to Korean games and gaming in India

How many cases in India so far

Along with the Korean wave (K-pop, K-dramas), Korean-inspired games also became popular in India, especially in Corona. But most of the deaths have occurred from other games. In the Ghaziabad case, three sisters (Nishika 16, Prachi 14, Pakhi 12) were playing ‘Korean Love Game’ for 5 years due to Corona. Task-based, where there were rewards for completing tasks, but some tasks were emotional or risky. If parents restrict mobile, then suicide. Korean script and ‘Korea is our life’ were written on the walls. This is the first major case where three children died directly due to a Korean game.

More deaths than Free Fire, PUBG/BGMI

• According to Dainik Bhaskar, in 2019, a 19-year-old boy committed suicide because of PUBG. That boy had been asking for a phone worth Rs 37,000 in his house for a long time in which he wanted to play PUBG.
• According to Aaj Tak, in 2025, a 13-year-old boy died while playing Free Fire in Lucknow. Experts called it addiction.
• According to News 18, a 13-year-old child in Indore committed suicide after losing money in a game.
• On 3rd February, a very sad and heart-wrenching incident has come to light in Piplani police station area of ​​Bhopal. Here a 14 year old student Ansh Sahu committed suicide by hanging himself. According to Amar Ujala, investigation revealed that Ansh used to play the online game Blue Well and was not able to complete the task.

Many deaths due to gaming addiction have been recorded across India. In the last 5-10 years, most of the people have taken steps like suicide (due to parents’ ban on gaming, loss, depression). Now the Ghaziabad case has sounded the alarm that if you are stuck in gaming addiction, then get rid of it immediately.

Why do such deaths occur?

• Main reason: Gaming addiction (Internet Gaming Disorder – IGD) WHO considered it a disease in 2018. Which has side effects-
• Playing day and night, skipping school/meals, irritation if stopped, depression. Children’s screen time increased during Corona, loneliness increased.
• Pressure in task-based games (like Blue Whale): Guilt or fear of failing a task
• Children connect cultural emotions (love, fantasy) with real life in Korean games.
• Ignorance or excessive strictness of parents both are dangerous

What to do? preventive measures

• Parents monitor mobile use, but talk lovingly
• Awareness in school, strict regulation by government (age restriction, time limit)
• If children seem depressed, seek counseling
• Game companies keep the task safe, give warning

This madness can become fatal. Games are entertainment, but balance is important. The Ghaziabad case showed how deep the craze for Korean culture can be. Parents, teachers, society, everyone will have to remain alert. Children’s mental health first.