Nxc, Nexon’s holding parent company, issued a statement announcing the death of Jin Zhengzhou, but did not specify the specific cause of death. According to media reports, Jin Zhengzhou has been receiving treatment for depression and his condition seems to have worsened. He is regarded as the idol and pioneer of the Korean game industry. His sudden death is a great impact on the Korean game industry.

Jin Zhengzhou founded Nexon in 1994, which is a pioneer in the field of free PC and video games. Later, Nexon acquired the widget for making Adventure Island and neople for developing dungeons and warriors, and merged the two companies into a subsidiary of Nexon. Nexon, which has grown rapidly through multiple mergers and acquisitions, has gradually become the largest game enterprise in South Korea. Its well-known online games, such as Adventure Island, bubble hall, go kart, rocky and dungeons and warriors, were once widely popular among Chinese players after being introduced by agents. At present, Nexon has at least 350 million users in more than 72 countries around the world.

In 2011, the company moved its headquarters to Tokyo, Japan, and Nexon was reorganized into the holding company of nxc. In the same year, nxc was listed on the Tokyo stock market. According to the Forbes 2021 South Korean rich list, Kim Jong Woo is the third richest man in South Korea, with a total wealth of US $10.9 billion.

Owen Mahoney, Nexon’s CEO and President, said in a statement: “it’s hard to express the grief of losing a friend and mentor. He has had an immeasurably positive impact on the world. As a founder and leader, he encourages people around him to believe in their creative instincts. Everyone in Nexon will deeply miss him.”