Game Park launched GP32 in South Korea on 23 November 2001. The handheld used an ARM9 processor and, instead of traditional proprietary cartridges, stored software on SmartMedia cards, a choice that later encouraged an active independent-development scene and unofficial applications. Its LCD screen offered a resolution of 320 × 240 pixels and the system had 8 MB of RAM. The NLU designation identifies the original model without screen lighting, preceding the FLU and BLU revisions. GP32 was one of the first South Korean handhelds with ambitions as an open platform.