NCSOFT Corporation—NCSOFT cut workforce 35% and R&D spending 23% over one year via voluntary retirements and spinoffs
Between 2024 and the end of 2025, NCSOFT reduced headcount from about 4,886 to 3,170 employees, a 35.1% drop, through large-scale voluntary-retirement programs and by spinning off development organizations (including QA and IT infrastructure units) into separate entities. Over the same period the company's R&D budget fell 22.9%, from 421.8 billion won to 325.1 billion won. The restructuring, led by co-CEO Park Byung-moo (a self-described 'restructuring specialist' who took the role in March 2024), occurred as the company simultaneously improved profitability metrics, and NCSOFT's union held its first-ever rally over the spinoffs, demanding job-security guarantees for employees moved to the new entities.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worker Rights | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.858 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.57)
Evidence (1 signal)
Korean business press confirms NCSOFT's 35% workforce cut and 23% R&D cut over 2024-2025
EBN and Aju Press reported NCSOFT's headcount fell from 4,886 (2024) to 3,170 (end of 2025), a 35.1% reduction via voluntary retirement programs and spinoffs, while R&D spending fell 22.9% from 421.8 billion won to 325.1 billion won over the same period.