Kim Jung-ju

The 2021 MapleStory crisis erupted when players discovered that certain random item attributes were not distributed uniformly and that some combinations were impossible or had been modified without sufficient transparency. Nexon apologised and announced compensation. The FTC opened an investigation and Kim Jung-ju was requested as a witness at a parliamentary audit because of his position as founder and controlling figure.

State of the evidence

Admitted by the person

Attribution

Direct responsibility

In February 2019, the Speculative Capital Watch Center filed another complaint alleging that Kim, NXC and several companies had evaded approximately 1.566 trillion won in taxes, notably through capital transactions, foreign entities, relocation to Jeju and transfer of Dungeon & Fighter distribution rights to Neople.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

NXC acquired cryptocurrency exchange Korbit in 2017 for approximately 96 billion won. In 2019, a civic organisation reported Kim and other executives for criminal breach of trust, noting that the investment's carrying value had fallen by approximately 77.9 billion won in one year and also alleging unlawful operation of a financial products market.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Direct responsibility

Kim Jung-ju was prosecuted for providing his friend, prosecutor Jin Kyung-joon, with benefits including financing the purchase of Nexon shares, a car and family travel expenses. Prosecutors argued that these were bribes intended to secure future protection. Decisions differed between court levels, but following a Supreme Court referral, the Seoul High Court acquitted Kim in May 2018.

Attribution

Personally implicated

The FTC sanctioned Nexon Korea for misleading presentation of certain events and random item probabilities, notably in Sudden Attack. A substantial initial fine was subsequently recalculated following litigation over the legal basis for its amount, but violations concerning the presentation of probabilities remained a major controversy surrounding the business model of the company founded and controlled by Kim Jung-ju.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Direct responsibility

In July 2016, the Speculative Capital Watch Center filed a complaint accusing Kim of approximately 2.83 trillion won in criminal breach of trust, embezzlement and tax fraud. The group particularly challenged the transfer of Nexon Korea to Nexon Japan at what it considered a derisory valuation, share purchases through a shell company, transfers of shares to a Belgian entity and tax advantages associated with moving NXC's headquarters to Jeju.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

After Nexon acquired 14.7% of NCSoft from Kim Taek-jin in 2012, the alliance developed into a control dispute in 2015 when Nexon announced an intention to participate in management. Kim Jung-ju's group publicly challenged several NCSoft decisions before selling its entire holding in October 2015.

State of the evidence

Documented

Legal status — source text

No legal proceedings

Attribution

Directly implicated