The Chinese authorities have announced an unofficial boycott of online video games from South Korean studios. This point of view is stated in the largest Korean newspaper “Joseon Ilbo”. According to the journalists of the weekly, the decision of the Chinese administration is political in nature.
The newspaper reports that from March 2017 to April of this year, the Chinese authorities issued licenses to 412 foreign video games, but there was not a single Korean title among them.
During the same period, South Korea licensed 111 Chinese-developed games, which allowed their creators to earn a total of about $ 188 million. This is $75 million more than a year earlier.
Korean developers fear that China’s “gaming blockade” will have a bad effect on their income.
According to the state Agency for Creative Content of Korea, Korean online games earned about $1 billion in China in 2016.
Nexon’s Dungeon and Fighter bitmap and Smilegate’s Crossfire shooter generated the most revenue money.
It was reported that at the end of last month, Chinese adviser Yang Jiechi met with Korean President Moon Jae-in and promised to end the boycott, but there are no results yet.
The publication suggests that the reason for the boycott was the deployment of American THAAD anti-aircraft systems on the border of South and North Korea.
Officially, they are designed to protect against possible aggression from North Korea, but Beijing saw this weapon as a threat to its security.
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