NC's Kim Taekheon Tops Game Industry Salaries in First Half of Year with 6.8 Billion KRW Including Severance Pay

2nd Place is Kim Chang-han, Krafton CEO, Who Received 2.6 Billion Won

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Taek-jin, CEO of NCSoft, revealed that his younger brother, former Senior Vice President Kim Taek-heon, received the highest compensation in the gaming industry during the first half of this year.

According to the semi-annual reports disclosed on the 14th by major domestic game companies, former Vice President Kim received a salary of 550 million KRW, a bonus of 3.12 billion KRW, and retirement pay of 3.02 billion KRW in the first half of this year. The total amounts to 6.8 billion KRW. He recently stepped down from his positions as head of NCSoft’s overseas subsidiaries NC America, Japan, and Taiwan and retired.

CEO Kim Taek-jin received 1.28 billion KRW in salary and 1 billion KRW in bonuses, totaling 2.289 billion KRW, making him the second highest paid within the company after former Vice President Kim. Former executives Park Myung-jin and Yuk Eung-su, who previously left NCSoft, received 1.54 billion KRW and 1.347 billion KRW respectively, including retirement pay. Vice President Lee Sung-gu received 1.332 billion KRW. Co-CEO Park Byung-moo was reported to have received 1.01 billion KRW in the first half.

Kim Chang-han, CEO of Krafton, received 2.6 billion KRW, making him the second highest paid in the gaming industry. Krafton’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Bae Dong-geun received a total of 2.204 billion KRW, including a salary of 539 million KRW and bonuses of 1.649 billion KRW, which included restricted stock units (a system where a predetermined number of shares are granted upon meeting certain conditions).

Director Jang Tae-seok of the same company received a total of 1.7 billion KRW. Kim Tae-hyun, Director leading the PC and console development division, received 1.364 billion KRW, and PD Kim Sang-gyun received 1.277 billion KRW.

Former Kakao Games CEO Cho Gye-hyun, who stepped down earlier this year, received a total compensation of 2.228 billion KRW, including a salary of 404 million KRW, bonuses of 868 million KRW, and retirement pay of 953 million KRW. Additionally, former CEO Cho holds 200,000 unexercised stock options.

At Netmarble, founder and Chairman of the Board Bang Jun-hyuk received a salary of 732 million KRW, making him the only group executive listed individually in the compensation report. Wemade Chairman Park Kwan-ho received a salary of 800 million KRW.

At Devsisters, Chief Business Officer (CBO) Bae Hyung-wook received a total of 710 million KRW, including a salary of 100 million KRW and stock option exercise gains of 610 million KRW, while Com2uS Chairman Song Byung-jun received 1.02 billion KRW.