Netmarble's chairman buys 13.4% stake for 374B won as Tencent trims holding

What's the deal? NetmarbleDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → Chairman Bang Jun-hyukDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has agreed to acquire 13.4% of the South Korean gaming company's shares for 374 billion Korean won. The stake comes from the 18.1% held by Han River InvestmentDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, an affiliate of China's Tencent.

Why now? Netmarble said on August 21 that the purchase was structured around Tencent's partial divestment of its holding. Rather than let a large block hit the open market, Bang stepped in directly.

The company framed the move as a defensive one. The goal, it said, was "to proactively mitigate potential market uncertainties that could arise if a large volume of shares were to be released into the market."

What changes? Once completed, Bang's stake will rise from 24.93% to 38.34%, cementing his position as the largest shareholder and founder.

Netmarble also stressed that its ties with Tencent remain intact. The two plan to continue working together across global game businesses and other areas, regardless of the shareholding shift.

The signal: A founder personally raising 374 billion won to absorb a departing backer's shares underscores how much control matters in South Korea's concentrated gaming sector. It also reflects a broader pattern of Tencent recalibrating its overseas gaming stakes while preserving commercial partnerships.

Read more: The Chosun Daily

Image credit: Netmarble