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title: Korean gaming conventions (PC bang, mobile gacha, MMO, regulations) applies_to: [game-ui, korean, kr-market, gacha, mmo] version: 1.0.0 last_updated: 2026-05 stability: stable

Korean gaming conventions

Korean gaming has distinct UI conventions, regulatory requirements, monetization patterns, and cultural expectations. This file covers what's specific to the Korean game market.

Read game-ui-fundamentals.md first.

Market overview

Korea is one of the world's most important game markets: - Mobile gacha + MMORPG dominate revenue. - PC bang (PC방) culture: PC cafés where games are played with hourly rates. - High ARPU — Korean players spend more per user than most markets. - Whale-driven monetization — top spenders fund most revenue.

Major Korean studios

Studio Notable games
NEXON 메이플스토리, FIFA Online, KartRider, 던전앤파이터, 서든어택
NCSoft 리니지 / 리니지 M / 리니지 W, 길드워, 블레이드 & 소울, 아이온
Smilegate 크로스파이어, 로스트아크, 에픽세븐
Krafton 배틀그라운드 (PUBG), 칼리스토 프로토콜
Pearl Abyss 검은사막, 도깨비
Com2uS 서머너즈 워, 데스티니 차일드
Netmarble 세븐나이츠, 리니지 2 레볼루션, 마블 콘테스트 오브 챔피언스
Kakao Games 오딘:발할라 라이징, 우마무스메 (KR distribution)

Regulatory framework

게임산업진흥에관한법률 (Game Industry Promotion Act)

Korea regulates games heavily. Key rules:

확률 표시 (probability disclosure)

Mandatory: gacha / loot box / random reward systems must disclose drop rates.

[가챠 결과 화면 또는 상점 페이지]
─────────────────────
SSR 캐릭터: 1.5%
SR 캐릭터: 8.5%
R 캐릭터: 90%

Required: - All probabilities listed. - Updated after each balance change. - Accessible from store / gacha screen. - For ENHANCED guaranteed (pity / 천장 system): also disclosed.

Failure = KFTC (공정거래위원회) fine. Several Korean gaming companies have been fined heavily for missing / incorrect disclosure (NEXON, Smilegate notable cases).

청소년이용시간제한 (Youth play-time restriction)

Historically (now mostly relaxed but still relevant): - Shutdown law (셧다운제) — youth couldn't play between midnight and 6am. Repealed 2022 but historical context for older games. - 선택적 셧다운제 — parental control; family can set limits. - 확인 시스템 — game IDs link to real-name verification (실명인증 / 본인인증) — Korean games require this.

등급 분류 (Game ratings)

Korean Game Rating Administration Committee (GRAC / 게임물관리위원회) rates all games: - 전체이용가 (All ages) - 12세 이용가 (12+) - 15세 이용가 (15+) - 청소년이용불가 (18+)

Mobile / PC games released in Korea must have GRAC rating. Affects what content can be displayed.

본인인증 (real-name verification)

Korean games require player identity verification: - PASS (mobile carrier authentication) - NICE / KCB (credit bureau) - 휴대폰 본인인증 (mobile phone)

For login screens / sign-up: typically deeper than Western games.

See knowledge/i18n/korean-payments.md for 본인인증 details.

PC bang (PC방) culture

PC bangs are PC cafés — pay hourly to use a high-end PC. Critical to Korean PC gaming culture.

Implications for game UI

  • PC bang exclusive content / bonuses — many games have benefits when played from PC bang IP.
  • Account login is heavy (vs Western "press play to start").
  • Auto-detection of PC bang — server-side; UI shows PC bang badge / XP boost.
  • Hourly session expectation — long PvP / raid sessions; UI assumes 2-5 hour play windows.

Common Korean PC games

  • 롤 (League of Legends) — Korea is LoL-dominant.
  • 오버워치 (Overwatch) — major PC bang draw.
  • 배틀그라운드 (PUBG) — Krafton's flagship.
  • 로스트아크 (Lost Ark) — recent PC bang hit.
  • 메이플스토리 — long-running 2D MMORPG.

Mobile gaming conventions

Mobile is the bigger market. Conventions:

Auto-battle (자동 전투)

Most Korean mobile RPGs offer auto-play: - Toggle on; characters fight autonomously. - Player still earns rewards. - Reduces grind tedium. - 2x / 4x speed options.

UI: - Auto button prominent (often bottom-right). - Speed control (1x, 2x, 4x). - Pause auto mid-battle for player intervention.

Western games rarely have this; Korean / Asian mobile games default to it.

Daily login bonuses

Visible in main menu:

일일 출석체크
[Day 1 ✓] [Day 2 ✓] [Day 3 ▶ today] [Day 4 ▢] [Day 5 ▢]
[Day 6 ▢] [Day 7 ▢ — 보상]

Player gets reward each day. Big reward at Day 7 / Day 30 / Day 100.

VIP / 출석

Tiered loyalty: - VIP 1-15 levels. - Each level requires accumulated spending. - VIP perks: extra inventory, daily premium currency, exclusive cosmetics.

Visible UI badge for VIP tier.

Battle pass / season pass

Time-limited progress track: - Free track + Premium track (purchased). - Unlocks via gameplay. - Resets each season (1-3 months).

Most major Korean mobile games have this 2024+.

Gacha (가챠)

Random pulls for characters / items:

┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│  [영웅 가챠]                       │
│                                 │
│  💎 1000 = 1회 뽑기                │
│  💎 9000 = 10회 뽑기 (10% 할인)     │
│                                 │
│  최근 SSR 보장: 0/100 — 100회 후   │
│  100% SSR 보장                   │
│                                 │
│  ▶ 확률 보기                       │   ← legally required link
│                                 │
│  [1회 뽑기]    [10회 뽑기]         │
└─────────────────────────────────┘

Required: - Probability disclosure link. - Pity counter (천장 progress). - Currency cost. - Limited-time event indicator.

Whale signaling

Korean mobile games signal whale status: - Costume / mount exclusive to high spenders. - Server-wide announcement ("[PlayerName] 님이 SSR 영웅 [Name]를 획득하셨습니다!"). - Leaderboards prominent. - Guild contributions visible.

UI design supports both whales (showing off) and free players (motivation to spend).

Korean MMO UI conventions

Korean MMOs (Lineage, MapleStory, Lost Ark, BDO) share UI patterns:

Dense HUD

  • 5-7 hotbars visible.
  • Buff / debuff stacks of 10-20+.
  • Multiple chat tabs (general / guild / party / whisper / system).
  • Floating combat numbers always on.
  • Mini-map detailed with quest markers.

Western players sometimes find "cluttered"; Korean players consider standard.

Heavy customization

  • Hundreds of HUD options.
  • UI scale per element.
  • Color theme presets.
  • Multiple keybind layouts.

Item labeling

  • Tier color (common / uncommon / rare / epic / legendary / mythic).
  • +N enhancement ("Iron Sword +12") — enhancement level visible everywhere.
  • Soulbound / 귀속 marker — items locked to character.
  • Tradable / 거래가능 marker.

PvP / siege UI

Korean MMOs traditionally have heavy PvP. Siege UI: - Castle / fortress timer. - Faction / guild standings. - Real-money bidding for siege participation (some games).

Mobile gacha character UI

Character roster screens show:

┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Tab filters: SSR / SR / Element]│
│                                  │
│ [Character card] [card] [card]   │
│ [Character card] [card] [card]   │
│ [Character card] [card] [card]   │
│                                  │
│ Selected:                        │
│ ┌──────┐                         │
│ │      │ Character name          │
│ │ Img  │ Lv 60 / SSR             │
│ │      │ HP 12,400 / ATK 1,820   │
│ └──────┘ [Equip] [Level Up] [Awa]│
└──────────────────────────────────┘

For each character: - Star rating (1★ - 6★). - Element / class icons. - Awakening / 각성 stage (post-level-cap upgrades). - Skill levels. - Equipped gear. - Affinity / 호감도 (relationship-style stat).

Korean gacha trends to higher complexity than Western (more layered upgrade systems).

Cross-platform Korean games

Many Korean games release on PC + mobile + console. UI must adapt:

  • Account sync across platforms.
  • Cloud save mandatory (mobile freed up but progress preserved).
  • Cross-play if supported.
  • Cross-progression (single character used everywhere).

UI signals current platform (PC bang badge, mobile data warnings, controller prompts on console).

Korean game typography

For Korean game UI:

Use Font
Logo Custom calligraphy or stylized brand font
HUD numbers Tabular numerals; condensed sans (Pretendard, NanumSquare)
Body text Pretendard, NanumSquare, NEXON Lv1 / Lv2 (NEXON's free game-friendly font)
Display / titles NEXON 두꺼비, 검은고딕, 본명조
Combat numbers Bold sans, white / yellow with dark outline

NEXON Lv1 / Lv2 font: free, designed specifically for game UI, includes Latin + Hangul + numbers.

Audio in Korean games

  • Korean voice acting mandatory for major games (Western imports get full Korean dub).
  • Voice options: Korean / Japanese / English / Chinese (popular in MMOs).
  • Voice sample in character screen (preview).
  • Cinematic dialogue subtitled even if voice is Korean.

Don't

  • Don't ship a game in Korea without 본인인증. Required for most genres.
  • Don't skip 확률 표시 for gacha. KFTC fines + reputation damage.
  • Don't release without GRAC rating.
  • Don't apply Western mobile UI patterns to Korean players (less auto-battle, fewer login bonuses) — Korean players expect daily-login + auto-play.
  • Don't use Latin-only fonts for game UI in Korean. Pretendard / NanumSquare / NEXON Lv handle Hangul + Latin together.
  • Don't skip Korean voice acting for major releases. Players notice.
  • Don't ignore PC bang detection. Free XP boosts in PC bangs are competitive table stakes.
  • Don't treat all Korean players as one block. Mobile gacha audience differs from MMO audience differs from FPS audience.

Cross-reference