- Establishment of ‘Seoul Pavilions’ at major domestic and international markets such as ChinaJoy, BIC, and G-Star, supporting a total of 24 companies
- ‘One-stop support’ for Seoul game companies’ overseas expansion, ranging from exhibition support to buyer matching and user feedback
- Recruitment of participating companies begins April 1st… Expected to alleviate financial and network burdens for small and medium-sized game companies
The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) announced that they are recruiting participating companies for the ‘2026 Game Market Seoul Pavilion’ to support the development of overseas markets and the expansion of sales channels for excellent game content based in Seoul.
As the global game market is being restructured around platforms and publishers, making it increasingly difficult for small and medium-sized game companies to expand overseas independently, the lack of market information and networks, as well as limitations in marketing funds, have recently been cited as major obstacles in the industry during the process of entering overseas markets.
In fact, according to the “2024 Korea Game White Paper” (Korea Content Agency, survey of 670 companies), the biggest difficulties for small and medium-sized game companies when expanding overseas were found to be, in order: lack of overseas market information (18.2%), lack of local networks (16.7%), and lack of marketing funds (13.6%).
In response to these on-site demands, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to strengthen its support system by jointly providing assistance with overseas exhibition participation costs and global networks—which are difficult for individual companies to bear—through the form of a ‘Seoul Pavilion,’ and by connecting exhibition participation to actual business results.
Seoul Pavilion to Operate at Three Markets This Year: ChinaJoy, BIC, and G-Star
This year, the ‘2026 Game Market Seoul Pavilion’ will be operated at three events: ChinaJoy (July, Shanghai, China), Busan Indie Connect Festival (BIC) (August, Busan), and G-STAR (November, Busan).
In particular, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to establish a bridgehead for entering the Asian market by operating a Seoul Pavilion at ChinaJoy, China’s largest game show. Following this, at BIC, it intends to gather user feedback and build a global network centered on indie games, while at G-Star, it plans to focus on B2B opportunities targeting major domestic and international buyers.
From booths to business matching… Providing customized support for achieving results
This year, the support scale is approximately 24 companies in total, including 9 for ChinaJoy, 6 for BIC, and 9 for G-Star. Selected companies will be provided with all necessary infrastructure for participating in game shows, such as the rental and setup of a joint booth in the Seoul Pavilion, production of promotional materials, and interpretation and on-site operational personnel.
In addition, it facilitates the generation of B2B results by providing spaces for pre-matching and business consultations with global publishers and buyers. Furthermore, it supports securing market competitiveness in the B2C sector by offering game demonstrations (FGT, Focus Group Test), on-site reaction data, and feedback reports to global users and visitors.
Through this, we establish a ‘one-stop support system’ that provides comprehensive support for the entire process of overseas expansion, from participation to export consultations and user response verification.
Results Verified by Numbers… Seoul Pavilion Plays a Key Role as an Export Platform
The city has already successfully operated the Seoul Pavilion at ‘Tokyo Game Show 2025’ and ‘G-Star 2025’ last year. At that time, it supported 18 companies, including LNK Logic Korea and Ikinagames, generating remarkable results such as 225 business consultations, 9 MOUs and NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements), and contract negotiations worth approximately $77 million.
This generated business opportunities worth an average of about $4 million per company, demonstrating that the Seoul Pavilion is functioning as a practical export platform beyond a simple exhibition.
Lee Won-wook, CEO of One & One Co., Ltd., who participated in the Seoul Pavilion last year, stated, “The most helpful experience was seeing indie games from around the world, communicating with developers, and obtaining practical market information from publishers,” adding, “I am looking forward to this year as well, as I expect to be able to directly experience the rapidly changing global market trends on-site.”
Recruitment begins April 1st… “Will become a reliable partner for small and medium-sized game companies”
Applications will be accepted from April 1 (Wed) to April 20 (Mon). Any Seoul-based game development company with a desire for global expansion and competitive content is eligible to apply. Further details can be found on the Seoul Economic Promotion Agency website (www.sba.seoul.kr).
The city expects that participation in this game market will provide a practical opportunity for small and medium-sized game companies considering initial overseas expansion to enter the global market.
Lee Soo-yeon, Director General of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Economic Affairs Office, stated, “K-games are the core driving force leading Seoul’s creative industries,” adding, “The Seoul Metropolitan Government will become a reliable partner for Seoul’s entry into the global stage so that small and medium-sized game companies in Seoul do not hesitate to expand overseas due to a lack of funds or network limitations.”
