Crimson Desert Earns South Korean Prime Minister's Praise After 5 Million Sales in 26 Days

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok posted about Crimson Desert on X, citing 5 million copies sold in 26 days — the fastest any Korean console game has reached that number. The post wasn't a press release or prepared statement. Min-seok wrote it himself, after the sales figures came in.

As reported by IGN, the prime minister congratulated Pearl Abyss directly and credited two specific design choices: taekwondo and Korean cuisine worked into the game without feeling tacked on. He also pointed to Pearl Abyss having built the game entirely on their own engine — no licensed middleware — as part of what made the milestone worth flagging beyond the raw number.

"Achieved 5 million sales in the shortest time in Korean console game history, just 26 days after release. We sincerely congratulate the achievement of Crimson Desert, which has elevated the status of the Korean game industry on the global stage. A living game world crafted entirely with their own technology from start to finish, graphics akin to photorealism, and proactive communication that captured the hearts of gamers worldwide. By naturally incorporating Korean elements like taekwondo and Korean cuisine, it has opened a new chapter in K-content. This accomplishment serves as a crucial turning point, demonstrating that the domestic game industry can expand and leap forward across diverse platforms, including consoles. The government will also take responsibility and provide active support. We will create an environment where K-games can shine as a pillar of K-content."

— Kim Min-seok, South Korean Prime Minister

The phrasing is notable. Min-seok describes "photorealism" and "proactive communication that captured the hearts of gamers worldwide" — not typical government language. Either someone briefed him thoroughly, or he actually played it.

The government support line has nothing concrete behind it. No fund names, no agencies, no timeline given. I'd guess something more specific gets announced if the game keeps this pace in international markets — for now, the post is a congratulations with a policy sentence attached.

Crimson Desert released simultaneously on Steam, Mac, the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Pearl Abyss built it on proprietary technology throughout, which Min-seok mentioned directly. Shipping across five platforms without a licensed engine or co-development credits is exactly the argument a government makes when it wants to say its games industry built something on its own terms.

South Korea has been running export programs around music and film for years. Min-seok's post puts games in that same column, using "pillar of K-content" explicitly. France's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been collecting awards for about a year and is doing the same kind of work for French cultural conversations at the policy level. I think the real question isn't whether governments want to claim games as national assets — it's whether any of that ever turns into actual money.

Read also, Pearl Abyss rolled out version 1.04.00 of Crimson Desert, adding three difficulty tiers, boss behavior changes, new storage furniture, additional pets, and expanded skills for Damiane and Oongka.