- South Korea witnessed a significant shut down in numbers of PC gaming rooms
- The PC bang owners are in doubt as to whether or not they will be able to restart their businesses
- Thus, they are choosing the convenient alternative of crypto mining
The coronavirus pandemic significantly affected various entertainment routines of people across the globe. South Korea stands no different from the virus’s impacts. Unfortunately, due to a lack of active functioning, the country witnessed a significant number of PC gaming rooms shutting down. However, the owners did find an alternative way of earning profits.
PC Bang owners’ alternate resort to crypto mining
The PC gaming rooms in South Korea are popularly known as PC bangs. According to the report of Chosun, a digital media portal of Korea, the operators of these PC bangs are leveraging their computers to manipulate pandemic-driven restrictions into their favour.
Besides, these owners do not have any assurance now whether or not they will be able to restart their businesses anytime soon. Thus, they are choosing the convenient alternative of crypto mining as of now. Several PC bang operators in Seoul are mining ether (ETH). They are concluding the operations through supremely-equipped computers furnished with high-quality graphic cards.
Kim, a 34-year old, highlighted that the number of customers diminished significantly amidst the pandemic. His PC bang, thus, could not survive in such a situation. Thus, he is now sustaining his earnings through the mining of ETH with around 36 computers.
Within two weeks, Kim earned a worth of 3.5 million won ($3,153). This is a significant value given it is the coldest time of the year. The PC bang operator appreciated the prevalent weather conditions, as mining crypto saves him an enormous amount of heating charges at the same time.
The potential halt in the stream of crypto mining
Chosun also added that in South Korea, the electricity service of a PC gaming room service is easily accessible for home, though with the regular charges on it prevail. However, the report emphasizes that the enthusiasm associated with crypto mining across PC bangs is likely to fade soon as prices of graphic cards keep surging.
However, some of the owners are assertive in the current context of crypto bull-run, as there exists no limit set to the extension of the business shutdowns due to the pandemic. Prime Minister Chung Sye-Kyun recently stated that even though the process of vaccination is slow, it aims to achieve the landmark of her immunity by the autumn.