Game Exports Exceeds W4 Trillion

Korea exported W4.11 trillion, or US$3.77 billion, worth of computer, online and mobile games in 2017, up 9.3 percent from 2016, according to the Korea Creative Content Agency on Sunday (US$1=W1,090). They make up the largest proportion of Korea's $6.74 billion contents exports with 56 percent.

Games exports have steadily increased by around $200-300 million a year since they surpassed the W20 billion mark in 2011 with US$2.21 billion.

Last year's outlook was gloomy due to an unofficial Chinese boycott of Korean goods and services, but enthusiasm from other parts of the world, especially North America, made up for the shortfall.

Half of the sales of Bluehole's "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" came from the North American and European markets with W450 million. And Pearl Abyss raked in 80 percent of the sales of "Black Desert" from North America, Europe and Southeast Asia.

The character business was also brisk, ranking second after games thanks to the popular Kakao and Line messaging apps. The emoji industry exported US$640 billion last year, up 7.4 percent from 2016.

The knowledge and information industry was third with exports worth US$630 billion, music came fourth with US$500 million, broadcasting fifth with US$420 billion, and publishing sixth with US$270 billion.