Nexon announced on Tuesday that its founder Jungju Kim (also known as Jay Kim) passed away in February. He was 54.
NXC Corp, the holding firm of Nexon, stated to Yonhap News Agency, “The deceased had been receiving treatment for depression, and we are sad that it seemed to have worsened recently.”
Kim founded Nexon in 1994, after graduating Seoul National University with a degree in computer science. He moved the headquarters of Nexon from Seoul to Tokyo in 2005. Kim left the board of directors in 2016, and sold his controlling stake of the company to NXC Corp in 2019.
After Kim left the board of directors he pursued investment and philanthropic activities, including contributions in health and education such as the Purme Foundation Nexon Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital in Seoul and the Nexon Foundation for building children’s hospitals.
Nexon specializes in free-to-play mobile and online games, such as MapleStory, SINoALICE, and the original Kemono Friends game. The company has also developed such games as The Kingdom of the Winds, KartRider, Dungeon&Fighter, and Mabinogi.
Last year, Nexon invested 92.4 billion yen (about US$874 million) into companies including Hasbro, Bandai Namco Holdings, Konami Holdings, and Sega Sammy Holdings.
Sources: Nexon, Yonhap News Agency, 4Gamer (Gueed)
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