Riot Games Korea announced Wednesday it will continue its corporate social responsibility program of cultural artifacts preservation and that it donated an additional 800 million won ($677,000) this year to the Cultural Heritage Administration.

The Korean arm of the US-based game company has collaborated with the Cultural Heritage Administration since end-2011 to reclaim artifacts that were once lost but found in overseas locations.

So far, Riot Games Korea has donated a total of over 6 billion won.

A Riot Games Korea official said, “Game is a part of play culture, and at its root is our cultural heritage. We are continuing CSR with the thought that it is most important to protect and support this heritage.”

The financial support from Riot Games Korea has been used to bring back five national treasures to Korea, and to aid the restoration of royal palaces, and maintenance and study of treasures stored at National Palace Museum of Korea. It has also been used for educational culture programs for teenagers.

Riot Games Korea is currently working with the CHA and Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation to retrieve a sixth lost historic item.

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)