Gaming in South Korea. Reviews, Walkthroughs, News

Nexon has been fined ₩11.6 million ($8.9 million) by the Korea Fair Trade Commission for allegedly omitting to inform customers about probability changes to in-game items in MapleStory.

Nexon has to pay Korean officials for misleading players over lootboxes, according to a new report. The company ran into trouble with antitrust regulators in South Korea that found them guilty of violating the Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce Act.

A report from the Korean Economic Daily says Nexon has been slapped with a fine of ₩11.6 billion ($8.85 million) by Korea's Fair Trade Commission for changing the drop rates of items in MapleStory and Bubble Fighter «multiple times» between the years 2010 and 2021, without telling anyone that the changes had been made.

India is increasingly and rapidly stepping up its game in space missions and discoveries. With a number of new upcoming missions planned by the space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India has also laid out its investment plans for a monetary contribution to the international astronomical collaboration project, which includes over 16 nations. The collaboration between the nations will be developing the world's largest radio telescope called the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which will be responsible for studying galaxies present in the universe. Additionally, it aims to make available the data as to evolution of our galaxy. Know what the project is about and how and when it will be ready to conduct research.

After weeks of anticipation, Samsung has finally announced its annual event, the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, and it is set to take place later this month. The South Korean tech giant has announced that this event will unveil an “all-new mobile experience powered by AI”. The most anticipated launch from the event is expected to be the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, which is the company's flagship product. This year, Samsung has again shifted the launch venue from its headquarters in South Korea to San Jose, California. Know all about the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event.

2023 was another stellar year for anime fans and, if the winter anime season (which runs from January through March) is any indication, 2024 is shaping up to be just as exciting. We’ve got a ton of highly anticipated premieres and new series debuts to kick off the new year, so let’s dive in and see what’s in store.

In yet another blow to China as it attempts to maintain a path towards self-reliance, Dutch-based lithography systems manufacturer ASML has revoked shipments of some of its DUV machines thanks to a request brought forward by the Biden administration. The export ban for such equipment was supposed to come into effect after a few weeks, which would have given China a little breathing room to procure sufficient machinery to continue mass producing chips for various applications, but the U.S. had other plans.

Today is the last day of 2023, and while the world is immersed in bidding adieu to the year, the artificial intelligence space is still brimming with intriguing developments. Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the youth of the nation to explore AI tools, especially those that pertain to real-time language translation as a way to preserve and promote India's native languages. In other news, a research team in South Korea has developed a generative AI-powered acoustic simulation technology that can help in lowering the technical barriers in brain ultrasounds. This and more in today's AI roundup. Let us take a closer look.

Manhwa initially originated in South Korea but shares stark similarities with manga. However, that doesn’t imply that Manhwa doesn’t have its charm. With engaging narrative and immersive characters, it captivates audiences with its stellar visuals and constantly growing fanbase.

Our Game of the Year coverage continues with the Best PS5, PS4 Art Direction of 2023, of which a top four has been put together by the Push Square editorial team. Here we'll highlight titles that pushed the boundaries of game visuals, whether that's through near photo-realism, a stylish look, or unique artistic elements. These games are a joy to look at just as much as they are to play.

To help round off the year, PlayStation has put together an interactive map of the world that shows the most played PS5 and PS4 games of 2023 in a bunch of different countries. A nice idea, we're sure you'll agree, but the results are every bit as boring as you'd expect.

The countdown to the highly anticipated Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 has officially begun, with the event set to dazzle tech enthusiasts from January 9 to 12 in Las Vegas. Preceding the main event, early festivities will kick off on January 7, promising an immersive experience for attendees and online viewers alike. Organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), this year's CES is poised to be a spectacular showcase, spanning 2.4 million square feet of exhibit space and featuring over 3,500 exhibitors.

2023 has been an eventful year for Samsung with multiple smartphones being launched. As the year comes to a close, the South Korean tech giant has unveiled two new smartphones in India, the Samsung Galaxy A25 5G, and Galaxy A15 5G. The Galaxy A15 5G is the successor to the Galaxy A14, which has become India's number one 5G smartphone, Samsung said, citing Counterpoint Research. Meanwhile, the Galaxy A25 5G gets features such as 50MP triple camera, Super AMOLED display, and more.

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VNG co-founder Le Hong Minh's first taste of international competition was as a gamer for Vietnam at an early e-sport tournament in South Korea. Two decades later, he says he's ready to face the world's best again as he takes his tech company public. The firm -- headquartered in buzzing business hub Ho Chi Minh City -- is one of Vietnam's leading game publishers, but it also runs a digital wallet, cloud services, and Vietnam's most popular messaging platform.

The upcoming mobile MMORPG ROM: Remember of Majesty is now open for pre-registration on Android and iOS devices. The game was developed and published by South Korean video game publisher Kakao Games Corp., who intend to release it for mobile devices on March 6, 2024. The game will be a cross-platform title for PC and mobile and has already surpassed over 100,000 pre-registration downloads.

The International Criminal Police Organisation better-known as Interpol has announced the arrest of 3,500 alleged cybercriminals and scammers, alongside the seizure of $300 million in cash and digital assets across 34 nations. The arrests marked the conclusion of what Interpol calls Operation HAECHI IV, a six-month investigation funded by South Korea.

The  have been revealed. The episode is set to premiere on Netflix and SBS TV. It is a South Korean romantic drama that revolves around Jeong Gu-won, a supernatural being who unexpectedly loses his powers, and Do Do-hee, a wealthy heiress. They come together under unexpected circumstances, leading to a unique and intriguing storyline.

PlayStation 5 has surpassed 50 million units sold through to consumers, manufacturer Sony Interactive Entertainment announced.

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We are nearing the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series which many tipsters have claimed to be on January 17. And as the date comes close, we are hearing more and more about what the upcoming flagship series might feature. In recent times, one of the most interesting rumors claimed that the S24 series might feature the recently teased generative AI model Galaxy AI. But we have just seen a glimpse at this new AI tool by Samsung, and are yet to find out how it might bolster the S24 lineup. But, while we don't have the details, we do know something about this new technology and how it may shape Samsung mobiles in the future. Let us take a look.

Netflix has revealed its plans for the future of its gaming initiative, confirming it has almost 90 games currently in development.

Starting from tomorrow through January 5, 2024, we’re celebrating the holiday season with a month full of activities for our PlayStation community. As part of the PlayStation Plus Season of Play, PlayStation Plus members can redeem free avatars for PS5 and PS4 consoles, join eSports tournaments, earn points on PlayStation Stars and enter a competition for your chance to win amazing prizes. Activities for those who are not PlayStation Plus members are available as well.

A report from the South Korean website InsightKorea reveals that Crimson Desert may have been internally moved from Q2 2024 to Q2 2025 by developer Pearl Abyss (known as the maker of Black Desert Online and owner of CCP Games).

Lies of P developer NEOWIZ has just released a new update for the Soulslike game. The 1.4.0.0 patch adds the following three Winter Festival items, available for free to all players:

Based on the namesake Japanese manga series written by Riichiro Inagaki and illustrated by the South Korean artist Boichi, is a post-apocalyptic science fiction adventure anime TV show. The plot predominantly revolves around 16-year-old prodigy Senku Ishigami, who is petrified along with the rest of the world when a mysterious flash appears out of nowhere in 2019. Three thousand and seven hundred years later, Senku is revived and subsequently resolves to restart human civilization with his extensive knowledge of science.

The  have been revealed. The episode is set to premiere on Netflix and SBS TV. It is a South Korean romantic drama featuring Jeong Gu-won, a supernatural being who loses his powers, and Do Do-hee, a wealthy heiress. They join forces in unexpected circumstances.

A recent report indicates that Apple is actively developing an under-display camera (UDC) for its upcoming iPhones within the next few years. South Korean tech giant LG is said to be working on an under-panel camera (UPC) designed to conceal the component cutout on a smartphone's display, ensuring an uninterrupted viewing experience during activities like gaming or video watching. While nothing is certain, this report has it that Apple is looking to replace the Dynamic Island display cutout with under-display sensors for both the camera and Face ID in future models.

Co-op shooter The First Descendant has gotten a new trailer during The Game Awards 2023, announcing a Summer 2024 release window for the upcoming title. Check out the new trailer, which primarily showcases the game’s general themes and mood with a pre-rendered cutscene, below.

All the buzz around Grand Theft Auto 6’s official reveal made it the most-viewed non-music video on YouTube in the first 24 hours after publish, according to Guinness World Records.

Throne and Liberty , NCSoft’s latest epic MMORPG  has officially launched in Korea. There’s a brand new cinematic story trailer to whet your appetite for the large-scale battles, environmental challenges, and quests for power ahead.

There's snow on the ground, magic in the air, and the doors on your advent calendar have begun popping open to reveal the treasures inside. That can only mean one thing: It is time to look at Geoff Keighley. The Game Awards—an awards show, but for games—returns tonight, December 7, and promises to bring with it a gamut of premieres and trailers that you'll probably want to tune in for.

Twitch will officially be closing down services in South Korea at the beginning of next year due to high operating costs. 

Sony announced a partnership with NCSOFT earlier this week which will likely culminate in the release of an MMO adaptation of the Horizon franchise, but if you’ve been getting déjà vu from this press release, you’re not alone. The company actually revealed a similar relationship with the South Korean titan over a decade ago, but nothing came of it.

We wouldn't blame you for forgetting all about Arad Chronicle: Khazan — the action RPG that was announced over a year ago, back in November 2022. Developed by South Korean outfit Neople, the game takes place in the world of Dungeon Fighter Online — a popular PC title in Asian territories. And, well… we've heard nothing about the project since its reveal.

Ahead of the Season 1 finale of, Netflix announced that its newest reality competition series has officially received an early Season 2 renewal. Casting for Season 2 is now currently underway. This comes after Squid Game: The Challenge earned a spot on streamer’s Top 10 list in 93 countries.

Twitch has announced it will end operations in South Korea at the end of February 2024, and blamed the high cost of operating in the country.

Twitch will be ceasing operations in South Korea due to the “prohibitively expensive” operational cost of running the streaming platform in the country, CEO Dan Clancy said Tuesday. According to the blog post, Twitch will stop service in Korea on Feb. 27, exiting a country known for being a global center of gaming and esports.

Twitch has announced it's pulling its service from South Korea in less than three months, citing high operation costs as the reason why.

Mobile gaming revenue is projected to increase by 4% year-over-year to $111.4 billion in 2024, according to a new Data.ai report.

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There was little doubt that the GTA VI trailer would do well in terms of viewership. Still, the debut video of Rockstar's massively anticipated new game surpassed even the rosiest expectations.

Twitch is planning to shut down its streaming platform in South Korea next year.

Streaming platform Twitch is departing South Korea.

Twitch has announced that it will end its service in South Korea in February.

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Netflix has confirmed the removal of several movies and shows from its platform before we ring in 2024. Among the list are classic movies and thrilling TV shows, as well as several original projects. 

Starting from tomorrow through January 5, 2024, we’re celebrating the holiday season with a month full of activities for our PlayStation community. As part of the PlayStation Plus Season of Play, PlayStation Plus members can redeem free avatars for PS5 and PS4 consoles, join eSports tournaments, earn points on PlayStation Stars, save on PlayStation Gear merchandise, and enter a competition for your chance to win amazing prizes. Activities for those who are not PlayStation Plus members are available as well.

Is there any better activity for the long, cold winter months than marathoning a K-drama? No, there is not. In the last few years, Netflix has become one of the go-to platforms for South Korean dramas, investing in the country’s television industry at the production level. This winter, Netflix has a diverse offering of beloved returning and exciting new K-dramas to show for it, offering a horror-tinged end to the 2023 TV season and plenty of romance to start out 2024. Here are the six upcoming Korean dramas you should be watching this winter on Netflix.

Samsung, the South Korean smartphone giant, is gearing up to announce the premium Samsung Galaxy S24 series in India. However, weeks before the official release, leaked images and video have surfaced online, providing a sneak peek into the design of another smartphone, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy A55 5G. The phone is expected to make its debut in global markets soon and is anticipated to feature an Exynos chip. The leaked 5K renders of the phone, in collaboration with OnLeaks, showcase a front design with a center-punch hole camera. The device is speculated to sport a 6.5-inch flat FHD+ OLED 120Hz screen with Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Unlike its predecessor, the handset is likely to have flat sides and could house a triple camera array on the back.

At this year's New York Times Dealbook Summit, essentially a series of interviews with mega-wealthy CEOs, Jen-Hsun Huang of Nvidia was asked about why he constantly feels that his company may one day bite the dust. «I don't think people are trying to put me out of business—I probably know they're trying to,» he said. «I live in this condition where we're partly desperate, partly aspirational.»

Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang, who runs the semiconductor industry's most valuable company, said the US is as much as 20 years away from breaking its dependence on overseas chipmaking.

For some Americans, Korean dramas came out of nowhere. Between 2019 and 2021, viewership numbers for TV series produced in South Korea went up a staggering 200% in the U.S. When Squid Game hit Netflix in September 2021, one in four Americans watched it. It wasn’t just a K-drama hit; it became the streamer’s most-watched series of all time.

A new report from Niko Partners projects that the East Asia PC and mobile game markets will hit $29.8 billion in 2023.

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and NCSoft have signed a strategic global business partnership.

A new report from Niko Partners projects that the East Asia PC and mobile game markets will hit $29.8 billion in 2023.

Retro-bit has announced what they have next in their line of retro re-issues; Eliminate Down for the Genesis/Mega Drive. Pre-orders will run from today November 28, 2023 to January 2, 2024.

Sony has signed a “strategic global business partnership” with NCSoft, the South Korean company behind massively multiplayer online role-playing games such as Guild Wars and Lineage.

We see the term banded about all the time, but what exactly is an indie game? 

Samsung's forthcoming flagship smartphone has achieved a significant milestone on its path to the official unveiling. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), Thailand's authoritative testing and certification entity for mobile devices and telecommunication equipment, has officially certified the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Today, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra successfully obtained NBTC certification in Thailand, disclosing its South Korean manufacturing origin. Identified by the model number SM-S928B/DS, this denotes the global variant of the phone, featuring a dual-SIM card slot. Notably, the certification details highlight the smartphone's extensive network support, encompassing 5G, 4G LTE, 3G, and 2G capabilities. With numerous certifications already in hand, the imminent launch of the device seems certain, Gizmochina reported.

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Do Kwon, former crypto darling and now fugitive, was arrested in Montenegro this March while attempting to flee to Dubai. The High Court in Podgorica, the Montenegrin capital, has now given approval for Do Kwon's extradition, though whether he'll be off to South Korea or the US, both of which have open arrest warrants for him, remains to be decided.

Google is actively investigating reports from Google Drive users who claim that their personal files have mysteriously disappeared from the cloud service. The company, acknowledging the issue in a recent Google community support thread, believes it affects a "limited subset" of users utilising Google Drive for desktop app versions 84.0.0.0 through 84.0.4.0. The problem is identified as a sync issue. Previously, several Google Drive customers voiced concerns on the company's support forum regarding the sudden disappearance of numerous files without any prior warning. The issue appears to be impacting customers using the Google Drive for Desktop computer app.

The host of The Game Awards, Geoff Keighley, has acknowledged the confusion surrounding which games can be considered eligible for the Best Independent Game category, and says it’s “it’s a really complicated thing to figure out.”

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The Game Awards host and producer Geoff Keighley has shared his thoughts on the debate surrounding Dave the Diver’s nomination for Best Indie Game.

The annual The Game Awards ceremony is coming up, and thanks to the amazing titles we’ve received this year, the competition is tight. Host Geoff Keighley recently had a Twitch stream where he addressed questions from the public and spoke a bit about why Dave the Diver has found itself in the Best Independent Game category.

Many are curious about the following the first season’s success, but is it coming out? Strong Girl Nam-Soon is a South Korean drama series that tells the story of Gang Nam-soon, who disappeared in Mongolia when she was a child. Years later, she returns to South Korea to find her family and gets dragged into a drug case. Fortunately for Nam-soon, she is incredibly strong and decides to use her strength to resolve her problem. Season 1 premiered on JTBC on October 7, 2023, and it’s airing on Netflix internationally.

Korean studio Shift Up’s upcoming action title Stellar Blade has turned quite a few heads with each of its showings, and the fact that Sony has thrown its full weight behind it and marketed as a major upcoming PS5 exclusive has created its fair share of excitement as well. Now, that partnership has been cemented even further.

Kelsey Grammer recently reprised his role as X-Men‘s Beast with a surprise cameo in . According to the actor, he’s sure he’ll be back following the appearance.

Dave the Diver is one of PC Gamer's favourite games of 2023, no small feat in a year as crammed with great releases as this one has been. In his review from July, Chris called it «easily the best game of 2023» saying «When I finished the final boss at 35 hours in, I felt like I'd been on a real adventure, and the ending gently, but genuinely, tugged on my heartstrings.» Granted, this was before Baldur's Gate 3 blew everyone away, but still a score of 91 is nothing to sniff at.

iPhone 15 sales started on September 22 for 40 countries however, South Korean market received the smartphone in mid-October and the country became the most popular market for Apple. The hype for the iPhone 15 models was already created among all global markets, but South Korea is the home ground for Samsung devices and buyers mostly prioritize the company's smartphones, but now perception has changed with the new iPhone 15 sales, report shows. Know how many iPhone 15 models were sold in the South Korean market.

Dave the Diver developer Mintrocket has released 22 minutes of pre-alpha footage of its upcoming zombie survival game, Nakwon: Last Paradise, showcasing the brutal zombie-smashing action that players can look forward to.

We are a little less than a year away from looking at the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Flip 6, but it appears that Samsung already has plans in place for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 because, based on the information that we have received, the company is currently working on PHOLED (Phosphorescent OLED), this is the type of material that Samsung is currently only using for green and red pixels, but by 2025, the company plans on introducing the same with blue pixels.

Today, South Korean developer MINTROCKET (a division of NEXON Korea responsible for the critically acclaimed single player adventure RPG DAVE THE DIVER) unveiled NAKWON: LAST PARADISE, a zombie stealth extraction game set in Seoul. The game world features PvPvE elements, so players will have to be mindful of both real players and AI-powered zombies.

More than a week since the theatrical debut of, new behind-the-scenes details about Marvel Studios’ latest superhero movie continue to surface online. According to insider <a href=«https://twitter.com/CanWeGetToast/status/1726359782641045563?ref_src=» https:>CanWeGetSomeToast

Despite relatively poor box office returns, and Ms. Marvel star isn’t too worried about how much money the recent Marvel Cinematic Universe film has made.

At G-Star 2023, Netmarble showcased once again RF ONLINE NEXT, a sci-fi MMO in development for PC and mobile devices with Unreal Engine 5. The South Korean developer acquired the rights to the RF ONLINE franchise in September 2020. The original game, as some of you might recall, was launched in 2004 by CCR, though it only appeared in North America and Europe around two years later.

Nier series producer Yoko Taro is back at it again with his striking interview comments, only this time explaining why he doesn't just make games for fun.

It's potentially good news for Nier fans, as series producer Yosuke Saito has hinted that the series will continue. Eventually.