Hyungjun Kim

Overview

Hyungjun Kim (Korean: 김형준), also known by his nickname Kjun, is the Producer, Director, and CEO of inZOI Studio. He has over 24 years of experience in game development across multiple major Korean studios. He is approximately 50 years old as of 2025 and is the primary creative lead behind inZOI.

Early career at NCSOFT

Kim spent roughly 20 years at NCSOFT, one of South Korea's largest game publishers. During his time there, he worked on and led several major MMORPG projects:

• AION: served as Producer on this fantasy MMORPG, which launched in 2008 and became one of NCSOFT's flagship titles.

• Executive Director: rose to an executive-level position overseeing development strategy and multiple project teams.

• Elyon (originally A:IR): worked on this open-world MMORPG during its development phase. The game was originally titled A:IR (Ascent: Infinite Realm) before being rebranded as Elyon.

Kim's experience at NCSOFT gave him deep expertise in large-scale online game production, live service operations, and team management across multi-year development cycles.

Krafton and PUBG

After leaving NCSOFT, Kim joined Krafton as an Associate Director for PUBG: Battlegrounds. In this role, he contributed to the ongoing development of the battle royale title that became Krafton's defining product. His work at Krafton exposed him to a different genre and player base compared to the MMORPG focus of his earlier career.

Creating inZOI

The idea for inZOI reportedly came from a personal moment. Kim's son asked him why no one had created a competitor to The Sims. The question stuck with him. Kim has spoken publicly about getting "sick of" MMORPGs that made players "overly competitive" and wanting to create something different, a game focused on living, relationships, and everyday experiences rather than combat and progression.

He has acknowledged the scale of the undertaking, stating: "I was recklessly brave to even think about creating a game of this scale." He has also expressed admiration for Maxis and EA's The Sims franchise, saying he lavished praise on The Sims for "achieving the impossible for the last 20 years" as the only major life simulation franchise.

Kim founded inZOI Studio as a subsidiary within Krafton to develop inZOI. He holds the combined title of Producer, Director, and CEO of the studio, giving him creative and operational control over the project.

Public communications

Kim maintains active communication with the inZOI community through several channels:

• "Brainstorm with Kjun": a series of community letters published on the official inZOI channels. These letters discuss development progress, upcoming features, design decisions, and responses to player feedback. The casual tone uses his nickname Kjun rather than his formal title.

• Gamescom 2025: Kim spoke at Gamescom in August 2025 about AI innovation in inZOI and the studio's commitment to community-driven design. He discussed the Smart Zoi system and how player feedback shapes development priorities.

• December 2025 Fundamentals First letter: in late December 2025, Kim published a letter titled "Fundamentals First" alongside the 2026 Roadmap. The letter acknowledged areas where inZOI needed improvement (performance, bugs, content depth) and committed to prioritizing fundamentals before adding new features.

Design philosophy

Kim's approach to inZOI reflects several themes that appear consistently in his public statements:

• Life simulation over competition: a deliberate move away from the competitive, progression-driven MMORPGs that defined his earlier career.

• AI as a tool for personality: the Smart Zoi system reflects Kim's belief that AI should make virtual characters feel alive and unpredictable, not just efficient.

• Community feedback: Kim has repeatedly stated that player input drives the development roadmap. Features are reprioritized based on what the community requests most.

• Long-term vision: inZOI is positioned as a long-term franchise, not a one-time release. Kim has committed to years of ongoing updates and expansions.

Career timeline