Nexon wraps up AI coding competition NYPC; foundation chief vows continued support for young programmers

Nexon's annual programming competition NYPC has wrapped up its latest edition. The company pledged to continue identifying programming talent suited to the AI era after revamping this year's contest to assess participants' ability to apply artificial intelligence.

Nexon said Monday it had completed the final judging round of the Nexon Young Programmers Cup (NYPC).

The final round, held Saturday in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, drew 144 participants who had cleared the preliminary stages. The awards ceremony was attended by Kim Jung-wook, chairman of the Nexon Foundation, along with representatives from the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Game Culture Foundation.

Contestants were tasked with solving problems using their AI capabilities. According to Nexon, participants said the redesigned competition format helped them build a spirit of challenge and broaden their perspective on problem-solving.

The Master Track grand prize — awarded under the name of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism minister — went to the team "Annyeonghaseyo Min-i-imnida Jalbutakdeurimnida," made up of students Kim Hak-geon and Lee Tae-min. Team leader Lee told Nexon, "I'm so happy that all the data analysis my friend and I did from the preliminary rounds led to winning the competition. I want to come back and compete again next year."

The gold prize — equivalent to the Korea Creative Content Agency director's award — went to the team "Dol," consisting of students Kwon Min-seong, Kim Sang-hyeon, Kim Jun-ho and Lee Dong-jae. The Rookie Track grand prize went to student Lee Yong-jin, who told Nexon, "I didn't expect to win, so I'm really happy. I want to become a developer who contributes to open source."

Nexon Foundation Chairman Kim Jung-wook said, "The more AI takes over, the more important it becomes to explore algorithms and develop the ability to form your own strategies. We will keep thinking about what kind of programmers the new era needs and continue to support participants in their growth."

NYPC has been held since 2016 under the slogan "Coding that changes the world." Nexon said it has reoriented this year's competition to align with the AI era and is exploring the possibility of expanding the event to an international stage.