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Nexon vs. Dark and Darker: What the Final Korean Ruling Decided

South Korea’s Supreme Court affirmed Ironmace’s trade-secret liability and damages in Nexon’s civil case, while rejecting Nexon’s copyright claim. The earlier U.S. dismissal addressed forum, not the merits.
From TheFinanceBase Team1 min to read
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As of October 5, 2026, the Korean civil dispute between Nexon and Dark and Darker developer Ironmace is over: South Korea’s Supreme Court affirmed a finding of trade-secret infringement and damages of 5,764,640,000 won, while Nexon’s copyright claim was rejected. The separate U.S. case was dismissed on forum grounds, not decided on its merits.

Why did Nexon sue Ironmace over Dark and Darker?

Nexon alleged that former employees took confidential materials from its Project P3 game and that Ironmace used that information while developing Dark and Darker. Ironmace denied the allegations described in the U.S. court record. Those statements describe the parties’ positions; the Korean civil court’s eventual findings are a separate matter.

What did the U.S. case decide?

Nexon sued Ironmace and individuals in federal court in Washington. In August 2023, the district court dismissed the complaint without prejudice on forum non conveniens grounds, directing the dispute toward South Korea. That was a ruling about the appropriate forum, not a decision on whether the alleged use of Project P3 information occurred. The Ninth Circuit appeal is documented in its July 2024 opinion.

What was the final outcome in South Korea?

On April 30, 2026, South Korea’s Supreme Court affirmed the civil finding that Ironmace infringed trade secrets and the reduced damages award of 5,764,640,000 won. Yonhap reported the amount as 5.76 billion won. The court rejected Nexon’s copyright claim.

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Issue Final civil outcome
Trade-secret infringement Finding against Ironmace affirmed; damages of 5,764,640,000 won affirmed.
Copyright infringement Nexon’s claim rejected.

The two claims therefore had different outcomes. The Supreme Court’s ruling did not clear Dark and Darker of every legal concern: it left the trade-secret finding and damages in place while rejecting the copyright claim.

Is the Nexon–Ironmace dispute completely over?

The Korean civil appeal has reached a final Supreme Court outcome. A separate criminal matter should not be confused with that civil case: a May 2026 report described the criminal matter as ongoing, but its status on October 5, 2026 is not established by the available reporting. That does not establish a final criminal finding or outcome.

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