Source: Nexon

Nexon (co-CEOs Kang Dae-hyun and Kim Jung-wook) announced on the 20th that it has opened its third 'Maple Leaf Playground' at Seoul Children's Grand Park to promote children's right to play and improve their health.

This third project was established at Seoul Children's Grand Park in Gwangjin-gu, a place filled with childhood memories for many. To provide high-quality play experiences and raise awareness of the positive effects and importance of play, an aging playground within the park was transformed into a special space that incorporates the voices of children.

Considering the park's popularity with families, Nexon focused on creating a space where everyone can play 'sufficiently, for a long time, and enjoyably.' To this end, the approximately 750-pyeong (approx. 2,480 square meters) site features a 9-meter-tall 'Pink Bean World' combination play structure, along with five slides, four swings, and five trampolines. Additionally, a shaded bench area called the 'Maple Leaf Rest Area' was placed in the center of the playground to allow parents visiting with their children to rest comfortably.

The project actively incorporated feedback from the 'Maple Leaf Brave Squad,' a group composed of children, and was refined through the participation of experts, including Nexon Space (CEO Ji Jun-sook), a subsidiary responsible for managing Nexon's spatial assets, and Seoul Children's Grand Park. The Seoul Facilities Corporation will handle operational management to ensure a safe and pleasant environment.

In an evaluation by the children of the Maple Leaf Brave Squad who participated in the design, the playground received a score of 9.1 out of 10, marking a 76 percentage point higher average satisfaction rate compared to local neighborhood playgrounds. Children responded positively, noting that "there are more fun and new play facilities" (88.2%), "it is special because of the characters" (70.6%), and "children of various ages can play together" (64.7%).

Kim Chang-seop, MapleStory's domestic general director at Nexon, said, "We wanted to create a space that gifts happy memories to entire families by capturing the voices and imagination of children, the protagonists of our future," adding, "We will continue to do our best to ensure that the positive influence created together with our MapleStory players reaches even more children."

Meanwhile, the Maple Leaf Playground project, a collaboration between Nexon's 'MapleStory' and the Nexon Foundation, is a social contribution initiative that remodels old public playgrounds or builds new ones in areas lacking play facilities, allowing children to run and play freely in a safe and enjoyable space to foster their imagination and health.

Following the opening of the first playground in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, in December 2024, the second was opened in Uijeongbu last April. Notably, the second Maple Leaf Playground was recognized for its excellence and was selected as an 'Excellent Children's Play Facility' by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in 2025.