Nexon to Pay Record 21.9 Billion Won in Compensation to 800,000 Consumers

Nexon, the developer of the popular online game Maple Story, has agreed to pay a record 21.9 billion won in compensation to 800,000 consumers who were affected by the company’s deceptive business practices.

The Fair Trading Commission had previously fined Nexon 11.6 billion won for failing to inform consumers about changes to the game’s probability structure, which made less popular items available for purchase.

Despite the fine, Nexon continued to mislead consumers, leading to a mediation proposal by the Consumer Disputes Mediation Committee. The proposal sought compensation not only for the 5,000 people who participated in the mediation but also for all victims.

Nexon has accepted the mediation proposal and will provide compensation to all affected consumers. The compensation will be paid in the form of Nexon Cash, which can be refunded in cash.

Background of the Case

Maple Story is a popular online game with 23 million domestic users and 190 million users worldwide. To quickly increase their character’s abilities, players must purchase probability items, including “cubes.”

However, Nexon changed its probability structure in 2010 to make less popular options available, without informing users. The company also falsely announced that nothing had changed.

As a result, many users, including one who spent 280 million won on items in a year, were misled into purchasing items that were not as valuable as they thought.

Significance of the Case

This case is significant because it is the largest amount of compensation paid to consumers since the introduction of the collective dispute resolution system in 2007. It is also the first case where compensation is provided to all consumers who suffered the same damage.

According to the Consumer Disputes Mediation Committee, the case sets a precedent for consumer damage relief through dispute mediation.

Nexon Korea has issued a statement saying that it humbly accepts the compensation recommendation and will work to restore trust with its consumers.

Claims for Compensation

Claims for compensation can be made through the Nexon website from tomorrow until the end of the year. Consumers can apply for compensation and receive it in the form of Nexon Cash, which can be refunded in cash.

This is a significant step towards providing relief to consumers who were affected by Nexon’s deceptive business practices.