Korea’s game industry is a major driver of the country’s cultural exports. According to the Korea Creative Content Agency, games accounted for 58 percent of Korea’s total cultural exports in the first half of 2024, significantly surpassing K-pop, which made up 12 percent.

Despite the industry's scale, there have been limited venues offering a structured overview of its development in Korea, particularly in the form of educational or public exhibitions.

Addressing this gap, Korean game developer Netmarble opened a game museum at its headquarters in Guro-gu, southern Seoul, in early March.

“Our game museum is designed to present the history of games and help raise their social and cultural value,” said Netmarble Director Kim Sung-cheol during a media tour of the facility on Tuesday.

The museum is designed to appeal to a broad audience from children to adults familiar with earlier generations of gaming, the company said. It features 2,100 items that trace the history and development of the industry, blending nostalgic elements with educational content.

The exhibition begins with a room that uses three-sided video projections to introduce the long history of games. Animated characters from Netmarble, including the vegetable-themed Koongyas, guide visitors through a brief overview of gaming’s origins and evolution.

Following the introductory segment, the main exhibition begins with a permanent collection displayed along one side of the hall. Featuring game software and hardware, the collection traces the evolution of games from academic and research environments into widely consumed cultural products.

It begins with Tennis for Two, a 1958 game regarded as one of the earliest examples of computer-based entertainment, and continues through the emergence of recognizable characters and narrative-driven content.

The displays highlight globally iconic games that were imported to Korea, such as Sonic the Hedgehog from Sega and Super Mario from Nintendo, providing context for how Korea began developing its own game content and how the industry may continue to evolve.

The opposite side of the hall presents a storage-style display of early gaming consoles, software and accessories that were popular during the early years of the industry.

“We considered how visitors could enjoy the experience while planning the exhibition,” said Cho Ji-young, Netmarble's museum team director.

“So, we included items from our collection that might be appreciated by game enthusiasts, even if they are not necessarily landmark products in gaming history.”

The museum also features interactive elements that offer insight into Korea’s game industry. One section presents a tutorial on the game development process, with content aimed at children who may be interested in pursuing careers in the field. It introduces various stages of production — including character design, animation, soundtrack creation and programming — helping visitors understand and explore different roles within the industry.

At the end of the museum route, visitors arrive at a room where they can play a variety of classic console and arcade games that were popular from the 1980s to the 2000s.

“The arcade machines use circuit boards originally designed in the 1980s, so they are prone to breaking down,” said Cho. “Still, we make efforts to preserve and repair them repeatedly, as we see how much joy they bring to adult visitors who feel a sense of nostalgia in this space.”

Aiming to establish the museum as a hub for the public to engage with one of the pillars of Korea’s cultural content industry, Netmarble plans to continue expanding its collection and introduce a variety of interactive, participatory experiences for visitors.