NHN said on March 19 it signed a content partnership agreement with the Korea Baduk Association.

Yang Jae-ho (양재호), secretary general of the Korea Baduk Association, and Oh Sang-min (오상민), head of NHN's Classic Web Board Business Group, attended a signing ceremony held at the Korea Baduk Association on March 18.

The agreement centers on implementing the Korea Baduk Association’s professional life-and-death content in NHN’s web board game Hangame Baduk & Omok. Life-and-death is a basic principle for judging whether stones live or die.

NHN plans to optimize and provide life-and-death content from the interactive game Legend of Baduk, developed by the Korea Baduk Association, for its game service. It also plans to carry out joint marketing. NHN will open the first life-and-death service in Hangame Baduk & Omok this month through the partnership.

Yang said he expects the cooperation with NHN to expand opportunities for more users to learn and enjoy baduk in a familiar online environment. He said the association will continue efforts to spread baduk education content and broaden its base through cooperation with various platforms.

Oh said partnering with the Korea Baduk Association, which has led South Korea’s baduk culture, will be an important opportunity to broaden the base of the online baduk market and raise popular awareness. He said NHN will focus its capabilities on expanding its user base by providing an online baduk environment that anyone can enjoy conveniently, and on helping baduk spread further as a leading leisure culture spanning online and offline.

Hangame Baduk & Omok, launched in 1999, recently renewed its match rooms and plans to continue strengthening new services, starting with the introduction of the life-and-death content.