10th Anniversary of Nexon Computer Museum... Experience, Learn, and Remember

Preserving Computer and Game History... Over 1.35 Million Visitors Accumulated
Operating 'Open Storage' for Visitors to Freely Participate
Showcasing Discontinued Old Games to Share a Sense of Community

The Nexon Computer Museum celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. Located in Nohyeong-dong, Jeju, the Nexon Computer Museum is Asia’s first and Korea’s only computer museum registered with the International Council of Museums. It has established itself as a leading domestic museum by preserving and promoting the history of computers and games to the public. The collection includes over 16,000 items, and the cumulative number of visitors has reached 1.35 million.

Diverse Collections ... Visitors Can Freely Participate in Exhibitions

The Nexon Computer Museum houses collections that connect the past and present, ranging from early computer devices to classic arcade game machines.

Key items in the collection include ▲Apple’s first personal computer, the 'Apple I (1976)', preserved in working condition and original form ▲IBM’s first personal computer, the 'PC 5150 (1981)' ▲the first home console game system, the 'Magnavox Odyssey (1972)', among others.

Beyond simply holding these items, the museum actively works to preserve their value. A representative example is the project , which restores the beloved game ‘Baram-ui Nara’ (The Kingdom of the Winds) to its original early version. By gathering developers who participated in the initial production and reverse-engineering based on the original source code, the museum successfully preserved visitors’ nostalgic memories.

At the Nexon Computer Museum, anyone can freely participate in exhibitions. This is based on the concept of open source, which evolves and grows through visitor participation. The museum operates an 'Open Storage' where general visitors can closely view exhibits and even propose items for the collection. This ongoing change aims to preserve both historical value and visitors’ memories together.

Established as an Educational Institution and a Space for Enjoying Memories

The Nexon Computer Museum has solidified its position as a leading social education institution in the Jeju region by operating various educational programs. Programs are designed for all age groups, from young children to adults. Approximately 50% of the total cumulative visitors are youth and children, making it a popular destination for school trips from elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide.

It is also notable for providing quality IT education opportunities. As the importance of software education grows in public education, addressing the digital education gap has become necessary. To bridge the coding education gap, the 'Dream IT-ni?' career education program was offered free of charge for six years starting in 2014, with over 30,000 students from about 300 schools nationwide participating. Since 2013, the museum has operated the 'NCM Children’s Advisory Group,' helping children in the Jeju region contribute to their community as cultural volunteers and grow into creative talents.

Additionally, by planning and operating exhibitions from the visitors’ perspective, the museum provides experiences that allow memories to be cherished for a long time. The 'NEpository' project, held on the museum’s special stage since 2021, is part of this effort. It archives unreleased or discontinued games to meticulously preserve the experiential value of online games. Recently, in March, the museum added an archive exhibition for 'KartRider,' which ended its domestic service, ensuring that longtime fans’ memories are preserved and not lost. Visitors can experience accumulated original artwork, BGM, and more from the service period, sharing memories and feeling a sense of community with others.

This year, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Nexon Computer Museum and the 20th anniversary of MapleStory, a large-scale artwork exhibition titled 'Hello, REAL World!' was planned. To symbolize the 'portal'?a wall that transports users to another dimension?the museum decorated one side of the building with representative characters, aiming to offer game users a new experiential space that transcends the boundary between games and reality.

Choi Yuna, director of the Nexon Computer Museum, said, "We thank all visitors who have enjoyed the exhibitions with affection for computers and games over the past 10 years. We will continue to fulfill our fundamental role of recording and preserving history while creating a museum that communicates and connects through creative endeavors."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.