The Korea Mobile Game Association and Starlike held the launch ceremony for the Illustar World Organizing Committee on August 29 in the VIP room of Exhibition Hall 1 at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

This initiative was prepared to successfully promote 'Illustar World', a global subculture culture and industry platform, based on the domestic subculture event 'Illustar Fest'. The event formalised the launch of the organising committee and shared the vision and future direction of both Illustar Fest and Illustar World.

Prior to the launch ceremony, organising committee members and key attendees toured the Illustar Fest 13 event currently underway at KINTEX. The subsequent ceremony began with an opening and attendee introductions, followed by presentations on the vision for Illustar Fest and Illustar World, introductions to the committee's composition and roles, the appointment of committee members, and a commemorative photo session.

Executive Chairman Kim Hyun-gyu presented key directions aimed at connecting various sectors of the domestic subculture industry and expanding them into the global market, leveraging the growth experience of Illustar Fest.

Drawing on Executive Chairman Kim Hyun-gyu's active experience in the gaming industry as the Senior Vice President of the Korea Mobile Game Association, a cooperative system involving experts from various fields such as gaming, content, IP, culture, law, accounting, media, and education will be established. Executive Chairman Kim Hyun-gyu plans to lead the organising committee so that Illustar World can grow into a platform connecting domestic subculture culture with the global market.

Illustar Fest is a comprehensive subculture event hosted by Starlike, featuring creator markets, stage performances, cosplay, corporate booths, and indie game experiences. Illustar Fest 11, held at KINTEX last May, saw participation from 1,000 creator circles and attracted approximately 32,000 visitors.

Experts from diverse fields including gaming, content, IP, law, accounting, media, education, administration, and cloud are participating in the Illustar World Organizing Committee. Lee Jae-hong, President of the Game Policy Society, has taken on the role of Organizing Committee Chairman, while Kim Hyun-gyu, Senior Vice President of the Korea Mobile Game Association, serves as Executive Chairman, and Lim Hyung-joo, Chairman of the Yongsan Cultural Foundation (popera tenor), serves as Advisory Committee Chairman.

A total of 26 members are participating in the committee: ▲Hyeon Neung-ho, CEO of Danal Entertainment; ▲Hwang Sung-ik, President of the Korea Mobile Game Association; ▲Seo Beom-gang, President of the IP Convergence Industry Association; ▲Kim Yong-sun, Vice President of the Korea Character Association; ▲Won Jong-gon, CEO of Wonderplan; ▲Park Byeong-jun, CEO of DeveloKet; ▲Yoon Ju-heon, Managing Director at Samjong KPMG; ▲Lee Joo-chan, Vice President of Newplay; ▲Lim Hye-jin, Secretary General of the Korea Game Media Association; ▲Park Jun-hyung, Partner Lawyer at Law Firm Gaon; ▲Kang Beom-jun, CEO of The Play; ▲Hwang Hyun-ki, CEO of Punkbism; ▲Yang Dong-hoon, Representative Attorney at Law Firm Samhyun; ▲Yoo Young-hwa, Advisor at With People; ▲Kim Young-hoon, Special Professor at Myongji University; ▲Kim Chang-bok, Head of Gaming at Megazone Cloud; ▲Kim Dong-gyun, CEO of Dayamonz; ▲Won Jae-ho, CEO of Anchor Node; ▲Lim Jae-chung, Head of Business Division at Sports Seoul; ▲Jung Dae-shik, Principal of Game Meister High School; ▲Song Gyu-geun, Member of Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly; ▲Park Sung-hoon, Representative PD at NSF Entertainment; ▲Yoo Eung-jun, former CEO of Nvidia; ▲Park Jung-geun, CEO of BM'S International; ▲Kim Nam-hoon, former Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Chosun University; and ▲Lim Dong-kwon, President of the Paju Medical Association.

The organising committee will explore ways to cooperate for the domestic and international business expansion of Illustar World and the establishment of a global subculture ecosystem, drawing upon the expertise and networks of experts from each field.

Executive Chairman Kim Hyun-gyu stated, "The growth trend demonstrated by Illustar Fest has confirmed the high potential and possibilities of domestic subculture culture and industry." They added, "Now is the time to expand these achievements beyond the domestic market and into the global stage alongside experts from various fields."

They continued, "The organising committee will play a practical role so that Illustar World can grow into a global subculture platform where creators and businesses, content and IP meet to create new opportunities." They also stated, "We will actively connect and cooperate the capabilities of each field for the development of the domestic subculture ecosystem and overseas expansion."