Minister Nominee Choi Hwi-young: "NHN Did Not Benefit from Bada Iyagi Incident"

"At the Time, Sales Across the Entire Gaming Industry Were Continuously Increasing"

Choi Hwi-young, the nominee for Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, directly refuted allegations that he benefited from the "Bada Iyagi" incident during his tenure at NHN.

Choi Hwiyoung, nominee for Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is delivering opening remarks at the confirmation hearing held on the 29th at the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

At the personnel hearing held by the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on the 29th, Jeong Yeon-uk, a member of the People Power Party, claimed that when Choi was serving as CEO of NHN, the company's web board game platform "Hangame" became the biggest beneficiary of the Bada Iyagi incident.

Bada Iyagi was an arcade game similar to a slot machine, which sparked controversy over its gambling nature. It led to numerous victims and became a turning point that spread negative perceptions about games.

Jeong argued, "As the Bada Iyagi issue was resolved, users moved to Hangame, which then triggered a second wave of the Bada Iyagi phenomenon. In 2007, Hangame accounted for 30% of NHN's total revenue, and of that, 90% came from web board games such as Go-Stop and Poker."

In response, Choi stated, "I remember there were such reports at the time, but I do not agree that NHN benefited from the Bada Iyagi incident," and explained, "Sales across the entire gaming industry were continuously increasing during that period."

He also expressed concern about illegal currency exchanges. He emphasized, "Web board games are still legally operated within the institutional framework. As someone who understands the web board game business, I will take a more proactive approach to blocking illegal activities and ensure that the public can enjoy web board games safely."