[Featured Stocks] Game Stocks Hit Consecutive 52-Week Lows... NCSoft Down 5%

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] On the morning of the 23rd, gaming stocks collectively hit new 52-week lows.

As of 10:50 a.m. on the day, NCSoft was trading at 329,500 KRW on the KOSPI market, down 5.04% from the previous trading day.

During the session, the price fell as low as 325,000 KRW, marking a new 52-week low for the second consecutive day following the previous day's intraday low of 346,500 KRW.

At the same time on the KOSDAQ market, Kakao Games was at 43,250 KRW, down 1.70% from the previous day.

Kakao Games also widened its losses to 43,100 KRW shortly after the market opened, breaking the 52-week low recorded just a day earlier (intraday low of 43,550 KRW).

Other major gaming stocks such as Krafton (-3.93%) and Netmarble (-1.78%) also fell to new 52-week lows one after another.

With recent growth stock investment sentiment weakening, gaming stocks are plunging amid ongoing controversies surrounding popular game operations.

Users of the 'Lineage' franchise games have protested NCSoft's YouTuber promotions (payment of advertising fees) by organizing collective actions such as 'truck protests.'

In the multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) environment where users compete against each other, the game company's payment of advertising fees exclusively to certain YouTubers is considered unfair.

Users of Kakao Games' 'Uma Musume Pretty Derby' have protested with a 'carriage protest,' claiming the company discriminates against Korean gamers, and are also considering refund lawsuits.

The meeting held on the 17th between game operators and users ended in failure without resolving the conflicts.