Nexon Founder Jung-ju Kim Passes Away At 54
He had been receiving treatment for depression.
The founder Korean game publisher Nexon, Jung-ju Kim, has passed away at the age of 54. He played an instrumental role in the publishing of several early MMORPGs like MapleStory, The Kingdom of the Winds, and Mabinogi.
He leaves behind a wife and two daughters.
In a statement published earlier today, Nexon President and CEO Owen Mahoney said Kim was a visionary leader who encouraged those around him to ignore the skeptics and trust their creative instincts.
Kim Jung Ju, who was the founder of Nexon (essentially created Maplestory) passed away recently. Maplestory was a huge part of my and many other's childhood. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/PJLiW5Kjek — Otto Suwen (@OttoSuwenNFT) March 2, 2022
"It is difficult to express the tragedy of losing our friend and mentor Jay Kim, a man who had an immeasurably positive impact on the world. He will be deeply missed by his Nexon family and many friends," Mahoney said.
Mahoney did not did not disclose Kim's cause of death, but Nexon's parent company told the Korea Times that he "had been receiving treatment for depression, and we are sad that it seemed to have worsened recently."
RIP to 김정주 Kim Jung Ju, founder of Nexon (gaming company of MapleStory) 😔 — S⁷ 🇰🇷🇺🇲💜 (-ㅅ-) 🍊 (@sujsays_) March 2, 2022
Kim founded Nexon in 1994 while pursing a doctorate in computer science and engineering at KAIST. Under Kim’s leadership, Nexon launched the world’s first graphic MMORPG, Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds and released popular titles such as MapleStory, KartRider, Mabinogi and Dungeon&Fighter.
Fuck off, damn... rest in peace. :( I spent so much time playing Maplestory growing up, I remember the release of the Pirate, the third tier jobs, Cygnus Knights... spent tons of time with Combat Arms as well. Thanks for the memories, Kim Jung Ju. https://t.co/JnAYzNFeoN — ZANRYU (@ZanryuLIVE) March 2, 2022
Kim left Nexon's management following the company's listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2011, and vacated his position in the company's board of directors in 2016.
According to PCGamer, Kim subsequently pursued "investment and philanthropic activities" through Nexon's parent company, the global investment first NXC Corporation. He stepped down as CEO of NXC, and as a member of its board, in 2021.
Kim Jung-ju, founder of gaming company behind 'MapleStory,' passes away at 54 pic.twitter.com/9OS1OkhJP9 — MGAG (@My_MGAG) March 2, 2022
Following the shocking news of Kim's passing, tributes to the celebrated South Korean have unsurprisingly poured in from fans in the video game community.
Will never forget the days of 11 y.o. me killing slimes in Ellinia forest and orange mushrooms in the Henesys hills, back when there weren’t a billion different classes. #Maplestory will always hold a special place in my heart from my childhood 💕💕. RIP Kim Jung Ju https://t.co/aQveNh5doP — J~L (@Girlsroxy_) March 2, 2022
