So you've decided you want to become a game developer and need some ideas as to where to do it or already got one set? I would like to put on the table the idea of heading to South Korea, Seoul specifically.
While the corporate game development scene is viewed as a somewhat powerhouse in Korea, bosting global giants like Com2Us, NCSoft and Nexon.
Indie devs like us can learn a lot from companies like Nimble Neuron who worked their way up slowly with the Eternal Return Franchise. In this article we will cover some of the major topics for you to be thinking about when trying to break into the Korean market.
The Startup & Game Dev Landscape
The South Korean game development scene has a lot going on with programmes being run by the government for native Koreans. There are programmes targeting young Koreans to try and get them to enter the world of entrepreneurship with various levels of success.
If you are a Nomad or unable to join these then fear not. The evioment lays down fantastic ground work for you to find like minded Koreans to get your product going. Check out Meetup.com, "IndieDB Korea", G-STAR or Indie Craft Festival to try and spread your wings to make more connections.
Working Freelance in Korea
Now, let's delve into the practicalities of freelance game development as a whole. I can tell you from boots on the ground that Koreans are just as hungry as everyone else in the world of game development.
If you are trying to expand out your game which I am with my current title P For Pistol then, you can find plenty of Koreans working for hire on Fiverr, Artstation and Reddit. When it comes to 2D work especially, Koreans are fantastic along with Japanese and Indonesians with producing amazing traditional 2D artwork for anime.
The primary trouble you will have when hiring Koreans on places like Artstation is that the work posted is often full time Artists working for game companies but they are moonlighting and don't usually take jobs.
So present yourself clearly and well.
Beyond Game Development, Nomad and Taxes
If you are a solo dev that has managed to make an income online then you are likely to be going through some sort of Nomad process in order to stay in Korea. At the moment your primary option unless you are a millionaire or working for a large corporation is to join the Oasis Visa Programme.
It's fairly straightforward, you start a clear business with a little bit of funds and you'll be able to start your game company in Korea. While undertaking the programme you will learn about tax liabilities and other stuff but do not be scared. It's really straightforward and Oasis offers a lot of help for non Korean speakers.
The Korean government has recently said that they will offer an actual Nomad visa with an income requirement of roughly $65,000 USD annually but you will not have the right to work in Korea. They have mentioned it since 2019 and "should" be available by the end of 2024, at the time of writing this article.
This is also another option to be able to stay in Korea long term legally for non Koreans.
I have not mentioned specifics yet about what types of games you should target, marketing, scope or portfolio. That was intentional. I would like to do a deep dive into each of those topics in another article.
