Krafton's chairman urges entrepreneurs to venture beyond comfort zone
Summary
Krafton Chairman Chang Byung-gyu urged aspiring entrepreneurs to leave familiar paths and embrace uncertainty at the 2026 Chung Ju-yung Startup Competition Demo Day on Wednesday at Coex in southern Seoul. He described how changing direction after reaching his limits in mathematics, developing software and later leaving Neowiz helped him pursue new possibilities. Chang cited Krafton’s North American experience with TERA as useful in assessing PUBG: Battlegrounds and said the company is expanding beyond games into AI businesses, including physical AI.
Key Facts
- The competition, hosted by the Asan Nanum Foundation, held its 15th edition under the theme Infinite, inspired by Chung Ju-yung’s belief that human potential is limitless.
- Chang said preparing remarks for the groundbreaking ceremony of Krafton’s headquarters in Seongsu-dong led him to consider how ideas embedded in buildings can outlast individuals and companies.
- Chang co-founded Neowiz and left after about a decade to pursue opportunities beyond the company.
- Chang said Krafton’s experience launching the massively multiplayer online role-playing game TERA in North America helped it assess the potential of PUBG: Battlegrounds.
- Krafton’s vision, Pioneer the Undiscovered, calls for building on its gaming technology and experience to pursue new AI businesses and opportunities in global markets.
Krafton Chairman Chang Byung-gyu delivers a keynote address at the 2026 Chung Ju-yung Startup Competition Demo Day at COEX in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Krafton
Krafton Chairman Chang Byung-gyu urged aspiring entrepreneurs to venture beyond familiar territory, arguing that breakthroughs often begin when people abandon comfortable paths and embrace uncertainty.
Chang delivered the keynote address, titled “Expanding Into Infinity,” at the 2026 Chung Ju-yung Startup Competition Demo Day on Wednesday at Coex in southern Seoul, where he discussed how personal choices, persistence and lessons from past ventures can open new avenues for growth.
Hosted by the Asan Nanum Foundation, the competition marked its 15th edition this year under the theme “Infinite,” inspired by the late Hyundai Group founder Chung Ju-yung’s belief that human potential is limitless.
Chang opened by reflecting on the paradox of finite human lives and the impulse to contemplate infinity, recalling how preparing remarks for the groundbreaking ceremony of Krafton’s headquarters in Seongsu-dong led him to consider how ideas and beliefs embedded in buildings can outlast both individuals and companies.
He described giving up as one way to discover new possibilities, recounting how he changed direction after confronting his limits while studying mathematics at university.
His subsequent commitment to student activities and software development, he said, helped turn years of sustained effort into personal growth.
Chang also recalled co-founding Neowiz, where the pleasure of creating something alongside colleagues fueled immersion and progress, before leaving after about a decade to pursue opportunities beyond the company.
He pointed to Krafton’s experience launching the massively multiplayer online role-playing game TERA in North America as a lesson in how overseas market experience helped the company assess the potential of PUBG: Battlegrounds.
He also stressed the importance of respecting creators’ originality while preserving and developing their creative heritage.
Krafton is now extending its ambitions beyond games into new artificial intelligence businesses, including physical artificial intelligence (AI), Chang said, describing the move as another effort to explore unfamiliar territory.
“Possibilities begin when you step outside your comfort zone,” Chang said.
“I, too, am working to open up more possibilities by leaving my comfort zone, and I hope all participants will use this competition to broaden their own possibilities.”
Under its vision, “Pioneer the Undiscovered,” Krafton plans to build on its technology and experience in gaming to pursue new AI businesses and opportunities in global markets.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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