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  • 기자명 Jung Hyun Ko
  • Tech & Bio
  • Published 2021.06.15 06:15

[PANGYO ISSUE] Pangyo Technovalley Weekly News, News from the Third week of June

Kakao Webtoon steals first place from Naver in Thailand and Taiwan at launch

Kakao Entertainment announced on June 11 that it took the top spot in the industry as soon as it launched the global webtoon platform Kakao Webtoon in the Thailand and Taiwan markets.

According to Kakao Entertainment, Kakao Webtoon was launched on June 7 in Thailand, and ranked first in the comics category on Google Play and second in the entertainment category on the Apple App Store. When it launched in Taiwan on June 9, it ranked first in the comics category and sixth in the entertainment category after Netflix.

How the foreign users think about the UX and UI, or user experience and user interface, of Kakao Webtoon, which was introduced globally first, is also noteworthy. Kakao Webtoon received high scores on Google Play, 4.6 in Thailand and 4.85 in Taiwan.

Lee Jin-soo, co-CEO of Kakao Entertainment, said, "The successful launch of Kakao Webtoon in Thailand and Taiwan – after launches in Korea, Japan, and the US – is a remarkable achievement made by the combination of the super IP portfolio, unparalleled IPX, and complete localization. 7Seeing the reaction in Thailand and Taiwan, we gained confidence in globally launching Kakao Webtoon, which will happen worldwide this year. I think Kakao Webtoon will become a new reference point for webtoons in the global market and create a great sensation.”

How the foreign users think about the UX and UI, or user experience and user interface, of Kakao Webtoon, which was introduced globally first, is also noteworthy. Kakao Webtoon received high scores on Google Play, 4.6 in Thailand and 4.85 in Taiwan.

Lee Jin-soo, co-CEO of Kakao Entertainment, said, "The successful launch of Kakao Webtoon in Thailand and Taiwan – after launches in Korea, Japan, and the US – is a remarkable achievement made by the combination of the super IP portfolio, unparalleled IPX, and complete localization. 7Seeing the reaction in Thailand and Taiwan, we gained confidence in globally launching Kakao Webtoon, which will happen worldwide this year. I think Kakao Webtoon will become a new reference point for webtoons in the global market and create a great sensation.”

Nexon Vice President wants to make a new word for “game”

Kim Dae-hwon (in picture), Vice President of Nexon, the older brother figure in the game industry, said on June 9 that, “Now is the time to come up with a word that replaces ‘game. Let’s make a new word that refers to the digital play service together.”

In the keynote speech at the Nexon Developers Conference (NDC) held online that day, Vice President Kim said, "Twenty years ago, game was merely a hobby enjoyed by some. Now, it has become a means of leisure for everyone through smartphones, the hand-held computers.” The idle games that you play by just turning the game on, video play by using cameras like TikTok, and Zwift that lets you compete with users around the world as exercising with the indoor bikes are all crumbling down the barrier of what we call games.

Vice President Kim, who oversees Nexon's game development, said it is looking to incorporate a new user experience (UX) into the game, such as adding game advertisements at desired points in the game, or commanding an assault with actions rather than words like an ancient war general.


5G convergence service test beds in Pangyo, Daejeon, Gwangju, and Daegu

To spread the superior 5G convergence services which the public can experience, the government is actively working on building four test beds in Pangyo, Daejeon, Gwangju, and Daegu, stimulating the 5G industry.

The Ministry of Science and ICT, or MSIT, announced on the morning of June 10 that Vice Minister Cho Kyung-sik visited the 5G test bed located at the Pangyo Business Support Hub and inspected the site. This is to create a convergence service which the public can feel by creating superior value in 5G, and to build a competitive 5G industrial ecosystem by supporting the development of 5G convergence services for SMEs.

Currently, the MSIT has built 3.5GHz and 28GHz 5G base stations and test facilities in Daejeon, Gwangju, and Daegu in addition to Pangyo, and from here, it is supporting the development of 5G devices, equipment, and service technologies. Daegu and Gwangju are managed by the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Pangyo by Telecommunications Technology Association, and Daegu by the Daegu Technopark.

In the test beds, development for devices & service and testing & verification are conducted.  Technical support and consulting are conducted before launching them in the market for more complete products. Also, by cooperating with the Telecommunications Technology Association, accredited tests and test reports can be issued in one place to improve convenience.

Gyeonggi Content Agency operates Gyeonggi START Pangyo

The Pangyo Gyeonggi Cultural Creation Hub, the agency operated by Gyeonggi Content Agency, announced on June 9 that it will recruit content startups to participate in the “Gyeonggi START Pangyo Acceleration Program” until June 21.

Gyeonggi START Pangyo is a public-private partnership content startup fostering program that discovers and fosters promising content startup companies in the province through partnerships with professional accelerators.

In this session of Gyeonggi START Pangyo, a specialized program by two accelerators will run with ▷The Next Lab/Startup Research and ▷Gold Ark/SparkLab paired up as partners.

The companies allowed to enter this program are cultural and convergence content startups located or soon to be located in Gyeonggi-do with less than seven years in operation. Twenty-four startups (12 companies per accelerator) will be selected.

Startups selected through the final screening will receive close support from partner accelerators and commercialization funding (10 million won per company) for about six months. Also, these promising companies can receive support benefits such as direct and linked investment, and mentoring from accelerators.

Startups wishing to participate in the program can apply after selecting one of the acceleration programs based on their business characteristics.

Pangyo Technovalley is an innovation hub for global companies comparable to the Silicon Valley in the US, Zhongguancun in China, and STATION F in France. It is an Asia tech hub with 1,259 IT, BT, CT, and NT companies that possess innovative products and technologies. Located just south of the metropolitan area, it provides the best environment for Korean companies to do business with great transportation access and infrastructure.

Various high-tech companies are located in Pangyo Technovalley, and it is occupied by 64,000 full-time employees, many in their 20-30s. In terms of industry, the companies are engaged in information technology, contents technology, biotechnology, and nanotechnology.

With the support of innovative companies with global capabilities such as Kakao, Naver, AhnLab, Krafton, NCSoft, Nexon, and Hancom, companies in Pangyo Technovalley recorded 107 trillion won in sales last year. Investment and infrastructure growth in Pangyo is expected to continue, with the Metaverse hub entering Pangyo this year.

Source: Pangyo Techno Valley Official Newsroom 

→ Asia Innovation Hub Pangyo Techno Valley 2021 News

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