Nexon's labor union "Starting Point" held a rally in front of Nexon Korea's office building and demanded the company guarantee job security on Sept. 3.
About 600 unionized workers said, "Stop making excuses for reorganization. Ensure job security. We cannot endure disorganization without countermeasures."
The union came out on concerns that the ongoing reorganization following the failure to sell Nexon will lead to restructuring.
"If the project ends or fails, there are interviews. They don't give jobs if workers don't pass the interview. We're here to make a reasonable claim about job security," said Bae Soo-chan, the head of Nexon's labor union.
"In other words, if the project ends and the team is disbanded due to poor games, it is not certain whether the team's manpower will be relocated, which is why workers in the game industry suffer from constant job insecurity," he said.
Nexon recently suspended four projects, including "Project G" and "Peria Chronicles," which were conducted by Nexon Red and Thingsoft, respectively.
About 100 employees, including developers from four teams whose projects have now been suspended, are on standby until they are placed on the new project, according to the Nexon union.
Concerns over restructuring, which have been brewing since NXC Chairman Kim Jung-joo's attempt to sell Nexon was thwarted, are becoming more highlighted by the suspension of the project.
"There is a document that says that if the relocation is not carried out within three months, workers should agree to leave the company," said a union official, adding that Nexon employees feel threatened by job insecurity during the transition.
"Because of the nature of the game industry, the project is being halted in consideration of various situations, which is not related to reduction of manpower," Nexon said.
Meanwhile, Nexon is also seeking to reorganize its management leadership. Recently, Chung Sang-won, vice president for development, and Park Jie-won, global chief operating officer, offered to resign. Heo Min, former CEO of Neople, is expected to join the executive team soon.
