Dongmyung University Game Department Partners with Hack Club... Hosting 'Counterspell Busan Game Jam'

World's Largest Youth Hacker Community Sponsored by Elon Musk

The Department of Game Studies at Dongmyung University and Hack Club, a global community of high school hackers, makers, and coders, are jointly hosting the Counterspell Busan event.

This event is the Counterspell Busan competition, a flagship hackathon of Hack Club, a worldwide youth hacker community to which Elon Musk has donated over $5.5 million.

The Counterspell Game Jam will be held on the 23rd and 24th across more than 100 locations worldwide, with two venues in South Korea: Netmarble headquarters in Seoul and Dongmyung University in Busan.

In addition to donations from Musk and the Tesla Foundation, GitHub, a code-sharing service operated by Microsoft and a sanctuary for free software and open source, also sponsors each Hack Club hackathon with $500. Supported by sponsors from various sectors including Arduino, this global youth hackathon event is held successfully.

The Department of Game Studies at Dongmyung University signed an MOU with the Counterspell Busan organizing team for mutual cooperation to ensure the successful hosting of the Counterspell hackathon. The event will be held on the 23rd and 24th at Dongmyung University's Coding Workspace and Dongmyung Hall.

This Busan competition is co-hosted by the Department of Game Studies at Dongmyung University and the Counterspell Busan organizing committee. With 20 years of higher education tradition in the game field, Dongmyung University’s Game Studies Department and talented youth from the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam regions are expected to come together for a competition that offers a glimpse into the future of the local IT industry.

Counterspell is one of Hack Club’s largest global events, where workshops, education, and seminars are conducted over 24 hours, followed by a competition to create apps and games. High school students passionate about coding, art, and music gather to fully express their creativity. Participants can join individually or form teams. Youth under 19 years old are eligible to participate. Experts can apply to become mentors and gain experience teaching young hackers.

Hack Club is a global nonprofit community active both online and offline, based on the traditional hacker ethic of using coding to help people and make daily life more convenient. Viewing coding skills as a superpower and helping anyone become a hacker, this group aims to foster professionals who deeply explore computers and contribute to humanity’s well-being, rather than the negative, law-breaking image often associated with hackers.

Professor Kang Young-min of Dongmyung University’s Department of Game Studies, who prepared this event, said, “We are very pleased that the Department of Game Studies at Dongmyung University, with its specialization in information and communication and long tradition in game education, is joining hands with young hackers who will lead the future IT industry. We will establish this event locally and further activate regional STEM education that creates future opportunities.”

Kim Jin-woo, a second-year student at Geumjeong High School and the overall team leader of the Counterspell Busan organizing committee, said, “We prepared for the competition with a challenging spirit, but it was not easy to secure venues with the infrastructure and administrative support needed to hold the event. We are very happy that Dongmyung University, which has achieved specialization in information and communication and game fields and is interested in regional industrial development, is participating in co-hosting the competition. This gives us confidence in the success of the event.”