Breaking into South Korea as an Indie Dev

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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

I can tell you from boots on the ground that Koreans are just as hungry as everyone else in game dev. Freelancing in South Korea as an indie is more viable than you'd think.

If you are trying to expand your game -- I am with my current title P For Pistol -- you can find plenty of Koreans for hire on Fiverr, Artstation and Reddit. For 2D work especially, Koreans are fantastic. Japanese and Indonesian artists are also strong picks for traditional anime-style 2D art.

The main trouble hiring Korean artists on Artstation: a lot of the work posted is by full-time studio artists moonlighting. They don't usually take jobs.

Present yourself clearly and well.

Beyond Game Development, Nomad and Taxes

If you are a solo dev with an online income, you are likely going through some kind of Nomad process to stay in Korea. Your main option -- unless you are a millionaire or working for a large corp -- is the Oasis Visa Programme.

It's fairly straightforward. Start a clear business with a small amount of funds and you can set up your game company in Korea. The programme covers tax liabilities and other formalities, but don't be scared. Oasis offers solid support for non-Korean speakers.

The South Korean government has also floated a dedicated digital nomad visa. Income requirement is roughly $65,000 USD annually, but it does not include the right to work in Korea. It has been mentioned since 2019 and was flagged as available by end of 2024 at the time of writing.

Either route gives non-Koreans a legal long-term path to stay.

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.