Bang Jun-hyuk

Netmarble's development and publishing structure repeatedly drew attention over very high levels of intra-group transactions and the number of entities potentially covered by South Korean rules against channelling business to companies owned by controlling families. Some subsidiaries generated a very high proportion of their revenue within the group.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Direct responsibility

In 2018, the FTC sanctioned Netmarble for misleading information in MaguMagu, Everybody's Marble and Monster Taming: exaggerated probabilities of enhancement, allegedly limited events that were repeated, and ambiguous presentation of extremely low probabilities. Netmarble received an administrative fine of 45 million won as well as additional penalties and corrective orders.

State of the evidence

Documented

A special Labour Ministry inspection covering Netmarble and twelve associated companies found that 63.3% of employees examined had exceeded the legal overtime limit and that approximately 4.4 billion won in overtime pay or allowances had not been paid. The union subsequently reported Bang Jun-hyuk and several companies and executives for breaches of labour legislation.

State of the evidence

Documented

A Netmarble Neo developer in his twenties died of an acute heart attack in November 2016. In 2017, the Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service recognised the death as work-related, citing working weeks of up to 89 hours, irregular night work and long periods without rest during "crunch mode".

State of the evidence

Documented

On 31 August 2017, a KCTU organisation formally reported Bang Jun-hyuk, thirteen group companies and several current or former executives to the Seoul-Gwanak Labour Office for alleged breaches of the Labor Standards Act. The complaint accused the group of systematically imposing hours beyond the legal limit without full payment.

Attribution

Personally implicated