Side Korea recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. PTW Korea (now Side Korea), which started with 15 team members and has now grown to over 100, has achieved remarkable growth based on its expertise in the global gaming market. Today, with two locations in Naju and Seoul, our Korean game studios offer Localization, Quality Assurance, and Player Support services, delivering various projects for our clients at home and abroad. In particular, Side Korea has taken the lead in supporting the global expansion of local-made games, and contributed to the growth of the Korean game industry at large.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of its founding, Studio Head Youngkun Park looked back on Side Korea’s journey so far to shed light on how our Korean studios got to where they are today.

10 years of growth in the Korean games industry

Korea occupies an important position in the global video game market: it has the fourth-largest gaming market in the world, following China, the United States, and Japan. By 2013, we already had offices in several countries and were focusing on the growing Korean market. In May 2013, we discussed the possibilities of the Korean market with Pole To Win Holdings Chairman Teppei Tachibana and President Naoto Konishi; in December that year, PTW Korea (now Side Korea) was established in Gwangju.

We thus entered the Korean market officially under the name Pole To Win Korea, and the new site played a key role in realizing our vision of global expansion.

Our original studio focused on providing Korean localization and testing services for overseas game companies. Since then, the scope of services has expanded to include both Korean and foreign companies, and we have provided our services for over 650 projects to date.

By 2017, Side Korea had established a stable business foundation in the local market, becoming the go-to provider for QA for large domestic game companies. But beyond gaming, Side Korea also expanded its services into various sectors, including drones and the metaverse, and supplied training data for machine learning for a prominent domestic technology company based on our expertise in languages.

In cooperation with Chonnam National University, Side Korea also contributed to local talent development, and in 2021 received an official commendation from the province of Jeollanam-do for local talent development and job creation. Our studios have additionally contributed to the global expansion of Korean game companies by cooperating with local government agencies.

Park cited our people as the secret to Side Korea’s growth. “We wouldn’t have been able to achieve all these successes without our amazing team at Side Korea. We work towards the common goal of providing excellence for our clients, and we’ve worked hard to grow together. I believe that these efforts have laid the foundation for providing even better services to our partners as the years go on.”

Side Korea yesterday, today, and tomorrow

Studio Head Park, who has been with Side Korea since 2013, recalled the early days of the studio’s founding and expressed his thoughts about what those times meant to him.

“It feels like only a short time ago that we established our Korean branch, but already 10 years have passed. It’s very emotional for me to celebrate our 10th anniversary with so many team members. In the early days of the studio, we would work late to accommodate the local working hours of overseas game companies. I remember times we worked hard while enjoying late-night snacks together; I remember the moment we persuaded one of our partners overseas to release their game in the Korean market, and cheering as we watched their success; and I remember the milestone we achieved when we expanded and moved the studio from Gwangju to Naju in 2017. I am truly honored and moved beyond words.”

Additionally, Park, who believes that the capabilities of the team are the capabilities of the company, always emphasizes opportunities for his team to learn and grow. Side Korea is continuously working to ensure mutual growth for both our talent and the company’s global capabilities.

He states, “Side is expanding its studios globally and plans to expand its service offerings in Korea as well. To ensure the company’s sustainability, growth and competitiveness must be strengthened, and for this, team pride and passion are of utmost importance. To strengthen our teams capabilities, Side Korea supports various training and self-development programs and is ready to actively support growth.”

Lastly, Park expressed his gratitude as he looked back on his journey with Side Korea over the past 10 years.

“I started my first job in October 2002, and already 20 years have passed. I’ve been with Side Korea for 10 years, which is half of my working life—I am very proud of all that we’ve achieved together and grateful to have been part of Side Korea’s growth. I’m excited to see what opportunities the next decade will bring.”

The past 10 years at Side Korea have been a historic journey in line with the development of the Korean gaming industry. By providing customized localization services, the studios have made it easy for any domestic game company to bring their story to the world and enter the global market, allowing developers to focus on their true passion of creating the highest-quality game content.

Side Korea is preparing for the future. We plan to pursue sustainable growth by expanding our network of partners, supporting game companies’ entry into the global market more efficiently, and continuing to meet and exceed our clients’ needs through the development of innovative services.