Nintendo establishes Korean subsidiary

Nintendo has announced the establishment of a new wholly owned subsidiary located in Seoul, focusing on localised DS Lite products and paving the way for a new market for the Wii.

The new division is set to open its doors on July 7th, supported by an initial investment of approximately 30 billion Yen (20.5 million Euro). Initial development on Korean language localisation of DS Lite titles is expected to begin as soon as July 20th.

Nintendo's Korean operations will be led by Mineo Kouda, and the company aims to rapidly drive sales of both hardware and software in the region, expanding the reach of the DS Lite and paving the way for a new audience for its forthcoming console, the Nintendo Wii.

Korean consumers have been able to access Nintendo's products for some time now, as trade between the two countries continues to improve. However, a lack of after sales support and no Korean language support for its products has stifled the growth of the Korean market - something which Nintendo is committed to changing with the launch of its new subsidiary.