Nexon revamps leadership to spur overseas growth
With new dual-CEO model, the game maker eyes W4tr revenue
Korean game maker Nexon, marking its 30th anniversary this year, has recently revamped its leadership to spur global expansion.
According to the company on Sunday, Lee Jung-hun, previously overseeing Nexon Korea, took the reins at Nexon Japan last month, with co-CEOs Kim Jung-wook and Kang Dae-hyun leading the Korean unit.
Under the new leadership structure, Park Yong-hyun, who also doubles as Nexon Games CEO, and Moon Sae-byuk, former CEO of Nexon Network, have been named heads of game development and operations, respectively.
The company said the recent leadership
ʇ reshuffle aims to improve operational efficiency and collaboration across departments, especially ensuring better coordination between new game development and the management of existing popular games.
“With more than two decades at the company since 2003, Nexon veteran Lee Jung-hun will continue to guide Nexon’s overall strategy while supporting Kang and Kim in their new co-CEO positions. Their collective goal is to improve communication and unify Nexon’s diverse strengths,” a company official said.
Nexon has also restructured its game development into two “big and little” branches.
Park, the new game development chief, will oversee the Big Game office, which focuses on large-scale projects, beginning with Last Paradise, a post-apocalyptic extraction survival game. Last November’s pre-alpha tests drew favorable user feedback.
Nexon’s “small” game development team Mintrocket will be led by Hwang Jae-ho, the director of the marine adventure game Dave the Diver, which has garnered over 3 million sales and earned a BAFTA Game Award. Hwang will continue steering Mintrocket’s creative endeavors. The company is also enhancing another key business pillar — “live services” that include content updates and quality improvements of existing game titles as well as adopting new technologies such as AI and data analytics.
Kang, one of the co-CEOs, and Moon, the former Nexon Network CEO, will join forces to bolster Nexon’s live game management. Kang has served in diverse positions, including head of Intelligence Labs, the team dedicated to live services. The two leaders will be tasked with refining live operations, broadening service reach, and creating deeper player engagement.
For overall management and cultural cohesion, co-CEO Kim will oversee internal and public communications.
“Supported by the company’s support and communications veterans Baek Han-joo and Kim Yongdae, their collective understanding of Nexon’s corporate culture will help align internal management and strengthen its public image,” the official said.
Nexon has several major projects lined up, including The First Descendant, Mabinogi Mobile, and Dungeon & Fighter Mobile. The refreshed leadership team aims to surpass an annual revenue of 4 trillion won ($2.9 billion), building on its 2020 record of 3 trillion won, a first for any Korean gaming company.