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Hyung-tae Kim, CEO of Shift Up and director of Stellar Blade, has been awarded a Presidential Commendation by the South Korean government for his contributions to the country’s game industry. The award was presented on December 10 during the 2025 Korea Content Awards in Seoul, according to Daum.
Kim received the recognition for strengthening South Korea’s position in the global gaming market through Shift Up’s recent releases, specifically Goddess of Victory: NIKKE and Stellar Blade. The Presidential Commendation is a high-level honor given by South Korea’s president to recognize significant achievements.
The Korea Content Awards, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency, celebrate individuals and organizations that have helped grow the content industry. Goddess of Victory: NIKKE was previously recognized in 2023 for its success in international markets, while Stellar Blade in 2024 demonstrated the capability of Korean developers to create triple-A console games.
During his acceptance speech, Kim credited his development teams and the fans who supported Shift Up’s work. He also shared the company’s plans for upcoming projects, including Project Spirits—a multiplatform game being developed with Yongxing Interactive and published by Level Infinite—and a sequel to Stellar Blade, which will be published by Sony Interactive Entertainment.
“This Presidential Commendation is thanks to the development team and fans who believed in and supported Shift Up,” Kim said. “We will continue to do our utmost to further showcase the competitiveness of Korean games on the global stage.”
