The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) runs production support programmes for various small and medium-sized game developers. Since this involves taxpayer money, avoiding waste is obviously paramount. However, if one intends to point out systemic flaws, the queries must be grounded in the harsh reality of game development to offer any real solutions. Unfortunately, during the recent National Audit, we witnessed questions so detached from reality that they failed to land with any credibility.

On the 23rd, Rep. Cho Eun-hee of the People Power Party grilled KOCCA Acting President Yoo Hyun-seok during the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's National Audit, citing 'poor management' of production support budgets. According to the data presented at the audit, 101.3 billion KRW was poured into 343 games over a five-year period from '2021 to 2025', with 25% of these—86 titles—never seeing the light of day. A staggering 24.76 billion KRW was allegedly tied to these unreleased projects.

However, let's be honest: even small-scale game development usually takes a year or two. Bundling games supported in 2024 or 2025 into an 'unreleased' pile and shouting about 'squandered tax money' is, to put it mildly, a bit of a stretch. Acting President Yoo hit the nail on the head: 'It can take up to five years for a game to be completed and released. If you look at the stats after five years, about 91.5% are released.'

Upon digging deeper, we contacted Rep. Cho’s office and discovered that the data presented during the live broadcast contained a glaring error. While the screen clearly displayed '2021–2025', the office clarified that the actual data covered the five-year period from '2020 to 2024'.

Furthermore, the '86 unreleased cases' only counted up to 2023, with an additional '15 cases' categorized as 'scheduled for release' post-2024. The office staff admitted, 'Considering the two-year development cycle, we only counted unreleased titles up to 2023.'

The office claimed the real point of the inquiry was the agency's failure to vet developers, citing a specific company that received a total of 1 billion KRW across 2022, 2023, and 2024 before shuttering its doors without releasing a single title.

While accountability for public funds is non-negotiable, the factual inaccuracies in the broadcast created a misleading narrative about the scale of the waste. Since the distinction regarding the 2023 cutoff wasn't highlighted during the audit, most viewers likely walked away with a distorted view of the situation.

Moreover, as the Acting President noted, development cycles are only getting longer. While the office used a two-year window, reality often demands five. With the market becoming a bloodbath, many mid-to-large titles take even longer, which is exactly why KOCCA introduced 'multi-year support' schemes.

Let’s be realistic: the support grants alone aren't enough to finish a game. Even the most generous 'multi-year' grants cap out at 400 million KRW. Without securing extra investment or a publisher, small studios are often left hanging, regardless of government support.

According to the office, 13 companies folded after receiving support between 2020 and 2023. But to assume all were just 'leeching off the system' is cynical and simplistic. Addressing management failures is fair game, but one must account for the brutal realities of the industry to be taken seriously.