People & Culture FEBRUARY 2011 KOREA‘S ONLINE GAME THRILLS WITH MULTIPLAYERS KOREA WORKS OUT KOREANS DASH TOWarD BETTer HeaLTH UPO WETLAND A FOUNTAIN of LIfe www.korea.net ISSN: 2005-2162 Contentsfebruary 2011 VOL.7 NO.02 02 COVER STORY As one of the world’s most wired nations, Korea’s vibrant gaming industry is booming. This is the story to look forward to in 2011. 14 PEN & BRUSH Bae Su-ah’s delicate and sensitive prose reflects a novelist of extraordinary versatility. 18 PEOPLE Carpenter Lee Jeong-seob is fond of tradition, but certainly isn’t afraid of modernity. 22 GREAT KOREAN Joseon-era artist Shin Saimdang left behind a legacy for women that has endured the ages. 24 02 MY KOREA February’s Lunar New Year holiday, or seollal, is a meaningful time for Koreans as they gather with family to welcome a new year. 28 PUBLISHER Seo Kang-soo, SEOUL Korean Culture and Information Service Seoul’s long history as a city embraces majestic architecture that includes many royal palaces. EDITING HEM KOREA Co., Ltd 30 E-MAIL [email protected] TRAVEL PRINTING Samsung Moonhwa Printing Co. Upo Wetland is Korea’s largest inland swamp and a well-known ecological reserve. All right reserved. No part of this 18 publication may be reproduced in any form without permission from 36 KOREA and the Korean Culture and NOW IN KOREA Information Service. Koreans are now turning en masse toward a healthier lifestyle – and it’s about far more The articles published in KOREA do not necessarily represent the views of than just a slim figure. the publisher. The publisher is not liable for errors or omissions. 40 SUMMIT DIPLOMACY If you want to receive a free copy of KOREA or wish to cancel a subscription, The European Union, the US, Peru-Korea has please e-mail us. A downloadable PDF a string of FTAs coming into force this year. file of KOREA and a map and glossary with common Korean words appearing 44 in our text are available by clicking on the GLOBAL KOREA thumbnail of KOREA on the homepage of www.korea.net. Taekwondo, Korea’s national martial art, is 30 enjoyed all around the world. 발간등록번호 11-1110073-000016-06 cover story Since the late 1990s, Korea’s online gaming industry has grown as quickly as access to high-speed Internet. Today, gaming is a central part of Korean life. And in a country that has long had to rely on science and technology over natural resources, the gaming industry seems set to become even more relevant in Korea. by Baek Bong-sam KOREA’S (background) Photo Topic © GOT GAME 02 | korea | february 2011 www.korea.net | 03 and European affiliates.Dungeon plans to focus more on promotion, while by restricting access to its gaming Fighter, Nexon’s other signature title, also easing certain regulations. market. In response, Korean companies once had 2.2 million players connected A major reason that Korean online began forming partnerships with local simultaneously in China and was picked games have thrived away from home publishers like Shanda and Tencent. Still, as one of the most popular games at the is their success in adapting to local the rapid growth of China’s indigenous WebMoney Award 2010 in Japan. needs and tastes. Just as high-speed gaming industry has seen Korea’s Cross Fire, a first-person shooting Internet connections became more market share drop from 80% to 25%. (FPS) game, is also in the elite club widely available around the globe, Some gamers in North America and of games to have registered 2 million Korea marched into Japan, China and Europe continue to find Asian games a simultaneous connections in China. Taiwan, as well as the US, Europe and little exotic for their tastes, and not all Though it only enjoyed marginal success Russia. By setting up overseas affiliates, countries enjoy the fastest of Internet in Korea, players in China, Taiwan and Korean companies hired local talent to connections. Vietnam made the game a huge hit help infuse local culture into games and But the increasing presence of online overseas. Along with The Legend of Mir create marketing strategies that would games in the global gaming market is 2 and Dungeon Fighter, it is one of the appeal to local players. enormously encouraging for Korean three biggest Korean games in China. It hasn’t all been plain sailing, however. Since the late 2000s, China THE SECRETS OF THEIR SUCCEss As has looked to protect its own developers ever more Korean online games find fans overseas, gaming has established itself both as an industry and as a cultural phenomenon in Korea. Suitably for Korea, games don’t require much Korean online games have gone beyond Screenshot from games overseas. in the way of natural resources, instead the online game their home turf and are now reaching Aion, which is Guild Wars first took off in North relying on a highly skilled and inventive one of the most out to the US, Europe, China and Japan. popular games America and Europe markets where workforce. As such, gaming is one of the No matter where you live, you can not only in console video games have highest value-added industries in the Korea but all play Korean games and strike up cyber over the traditionally been dominant. country. world (above). friendships with fellow gamers around Muguk, one of Developed by ArenaNet, According to the “2010 Korea Games the world. At big gaming tradeshows the striker the North American affiliate of White Paper,” published by the Ministry Aion’s characters are seen on its screenshot characters of (above). Attendees for G-star 2010, an annual overseas, such as Gamescom and the Dungeon the leading MMORPG (Massively of Culture and Korea Creative Content game trade show held in Busan, Korea, Tokyo Game Show, Korean online Fighter (right). multiplayer online role-playing game) Agency, the local game market recorded experience online games on the iPad (right). A Main poster of screenshot from Metro Conflict (below). games are some of the most hotly the game maker NCsoft,Guild Wars sold about 6.6 trillion won in annual sales in 2009. Dungeon Fighter anticipated, wowing seasoned gamers (below). 6.3 million copies outside Korea, raising In the same year, Korea accounted for with their dynamism and creativity. huge expectations for a sequel. 3.1% (US$3.58 billion) of the overall Korean game developers have also When it arrived, Guild Wars 2 international market (US$117.3 billion), been quick to adapt to the latest trends, didn’t disappoint, winning NCsoft’s and exports increased 13.6% year-on- building a host of hot new social games, “best online game” award at the year to US$1.24 billion. functional games that are educational 2010 Gamescom, a German gaming In 2010, exports of Korean games as well as fun, and open platform games exhibition. It was the second year were estimated to have grown by a that are staking claim in the booming in a row that NCsoft took the prize, further 29% to surpass US$1.6 billion, realm of smart devices. following Aion’s victory in 2009. with many predicting that figure could Maple Story is also available in top US$2 billion in 2011. Korea has set ROCKING ALL OVER THE WORLD Guild about 70 countries across Asia, North out to become one of the world’s top Wars by NCsoft,Maple Story by Nexon, America and Europe, with Nexon three game makers, alongside the US and Cross Fire by Neowiz Games are offering officially serviced versions of and Japan, by 2012. To help the industry among the most popular Korean online the game through its North American bottom) (left, Corporation NEXON (top); Corporation NCsoft © left) above from (clockwise NHN Co.,Ltd.; Entertainment WeMade Corporation; NCsoft © develop even further, the government 04 | korea | february 2011 www.korea.net | 05 companies. According to market (28.3%) selected playing games as their researcher DFC Intelligence, the world favorite pastime than watching TV online games market in 2011 is expected (22.1%) and going to the movies (19.7%). to grow by 17.2% to surpass US$18 In Korea, gaming is a part of the cultural billion. Korea, long on experience and furniture. technology in online games, is poised to G-Star, an annual game trade show, become more competitive overseas. served as further proof of this. Held over four days in the BEXCO center A PERFECT PasTIME An online teaching in Busan, Korea, G-Star 2010 attracted site recently showed that Korean middle around 283,000 visitors from Korea and school students spend 57% of their free overseas. Some 316 companies from time surfing the Internet and 10% of the 22 countries conducted 3,550 rounds time playing online games. The 2010 of export consultations, with 166 deals, white paper on games said more people worth around US$20 million, being inked in total. One of the opening shots of Every year, the crowds at BEXCO The Legend of Mir 2 (above). Some of have been growing, with the geeks NCsoft‘s games being joined by growing numbers of were featured at Gamescom families and couples. This in itself marks 2010, held in Germany last a major shift, as games in Korea have year (far left). traditionally been seen as a baleful Ferres, a new character in influence that keeps youngsters away Arche Age, from their studies and shuttered up in showed up at G-Star 2010 for smoky PC rooms. Some games have the first time drawn controversy for their racy or for different age groups before they hit Attendees of G-Star 2010 enjoy online games Com2uS and Gamevil are two of ever (left).