(LEAD) Nexon founder Kim Jung-ju dies

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SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- Kim Jung-ju, the founder of gaming giant Nexon Co., has died, his company said Tuesday. He was 54.

NXC Corp., the holding firm of Nexon, said Kim died in the United States late last month.

"Please excuse us that we cannot explain in detail as all of his family members are devastated," NXC said. "The deceased had been receiving treatment for depression, and we are sad that it seemed to have worsened recently."

Kim is survived by his wife and two daughters.

A graduate of Seoul National University with a major in computer science, Kim founded Nexon in 1994 and guided the company to one of the biggest game developers with hit titles like "Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds," "MapleStory" and "KartRider."

Nexon is one of the "three N" in the South Korean gaming industry alongside NCSoft Corp. and Netmarble Corp.

In 2005, Nexon moved its headquarters from Seoul to Tokyo and went public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2011.

Nexon posted sales of 2.8 trillion won (US$2.3 billion) and an operating profit of 951.6 billion won last year.

kdon@yna.co.kr
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