Behind the Making of NC's 'Jiphaenggeom' Trophy [Buaeri's Game Dictionary]

On the 24th, the 6th game of the 2020 Professional Baseball Postseason Korean Series between the Doosan Bears and NC Dinos was held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul. NC players, having secured the championship with a 4-2 victory, are celebrating. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Buaeri] "The greatest trophy across all sports" (The Athletic, a U.S. sports magazine) The 'Execution Sword Ceremony' of the professional baseball team NC Dinos, who reached the top of the Korean Series in just 9 years since their founding, attracted attention from baseball fans worldwide, including in Korea. Player Yang Eui-ji drew a model execution sword, and the team raised the sword high into the sky to celebrate their championship victory.

How the Execution Sword Ceremony Was Born

According to NCSoft on the 28th, it took one month to create the 'Execution Sword.' After winning the regular season, player Park Min-woo personally proposed the idea to the club, and the club official contacted NCSoft headquarters, officially starting the Execution Sword ceremony project.

The Execution Sword is one of the top items in NCSoft's flagship game, Lineage. It is a rare item that requires a lot of effort to create even within the game. Player Yang Eui-ji said, "We often talked among players that Lineage supports us, and Park Min-woo came up with the idea." The headquarters accepted the players' proposal and produced the Execution Sword model.

The actual size of the Execution Sword reaches 155 cm. It is a 'giant' Execution Sword that appeared in real life. An NCSoft official explained, "Although the Execution Sword does not exist in reality, we considered a size that would convey the sword's dignity when held by players of their stature."

Fans speculated variously about the giant Execution Sword, saying things like "It must be made of gold" or "It costs as much as 20 million won," but these were all reported to be untrue. The company explained that it was made lightweight so players could hold it comfortably. The Execution Sword, having fulfilled its role, is currently stored at NCSoft headquarters.

Kim Taek-jin, CEO of NCSoft

Taekjin Hyung, Great at Both Baseball and Gaming

"What we desperately wanted was the 'opportunity' to stand on the field." The NC Dinos' first Korean Series championship in 9 years was backed by the steadfastness of club owner Kim Taek-jin, CEO of NCSoft. The once underdog game company surpassed baseball teams owned by major conglomerates to claim the trophy, turning the 'desperate opportunity' into reality. The 'Taekjin Hyung who stayed up all night' also hit a home run off the field. NCSoft is on the verge of achieving annual sales of 2 trillion won for the first time in its history this year.

Kim, a baseball enthusiast since childhood, announced his intention to found the 9th team in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in 2011, but the situation was not favorable. At the time, existing baseball teams opposed the entry of a game company into the league, saying it would lower the level of play. Kim pushed forward with determination. He said, "I can operate it for 100 years with my personal assets alone," and proceeded with the founding.

Kim infused NCSoft's DNA into the baseball team as well. He hired baseball data analysts to form a 'data team' and developed the strategic analysis system 'D-LOCKER.' D-LOCKER is a mobile-based performance analysis system that allows access to video and statistical data of players from all 10 teams. It was developed with support from NCSoft's technological capabilities.

Kim's bold decisions also contributed to the team's growth. In 2016, he signed player Park Seok-min for 9.6 billion won over 4 years, the highest amount ever for a position player, and last year, he scouted catcher Yang Eui-ji for 12.5 billion won. The team provided players with top-class accommodations and, for the first time, single rooms. It also made headlines by gifting players tablet PCs to study 'baseball data.'

NCSoft is also thriving in its core business. Thanks to the strong performance of Lineage M and Lineage 2M this year, it is on the verge of surpassing 2 trillion won in annual sales for the first time. The third-quarter results showed sales of 585.2 billion won and operating profit of 217.7 billion won, increases of 47% and 69% respectively compared to the previous year. Cumulative sales through the third quarter reached 1.8549 trillion won. After the integrated series victory, CEO Kim said, "It was like something out of a comic," and expressed gratitude to everyone who made the championship day possible.