South Korea

When looking at global eSports culture, it is easy to note the role South Korea has played in helping eSports become a worldwide phenomenon. As we discuss in a previous blog post, South Korea’s Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Information and Communications and Tourism were the first to announced their sponsorship of World Cyber Games Challenge, also known as the eSports Olympics. While video gaming was still gaining popularity in other counties, eSports had already cemented itself in the mainstream culture of South Korea. There, eSports superstars are not just admired among video games enthusiasts. They are lauded by common people too. And because South Korea was one of the first countries to see the potential of competitive gaming, South Koreans also have access to the world’s best developed competitive formats for both leagues and the pro players.

In South Korea, competitive video gaming is a viable career for pro players for two reasons. First, because South Korea has a booming eSports industry, the top pro players can earn a good salary. Second, South Korea’s population, among other East Asia countries like China and Japan, makes up the majority of global eSports viewership. According to a NewZoo report, Asia–Pacific will account for 57 percent of total eSports enthusiasts in 2019. More viewership means a bigger market for eSports, and this has led to Asia–Pacific countries like South Korea becoming the Home of eSports.

Another reason South Korea has become a leader in the world of eSports is that, for the past 18 years, eSports events have been broadcast on TV. From StarCraft League to Overwatch League, South Korea media companies like OnGameNet and MBCGame are dedicated to broadcasting eSports to an ever-growing audience. This has pushed eSports into the eyes of mainstream audiences and made eSports a staple of South Korean culture. To the South Korean people, eSports is more than just an industry. According to eSportsBet, because the sport itself is so popular and widely viewed in South Korea, eSports players are celebrities in much the same way someone in the NBA is consider a celebrity. Overall, the popularity of eSports events in South Korea has made Seoul, the capital of South Korea, also the capital of global eSports.

In addition to Seoul, South Korea is also home to a well-established eSports association known as the Korean e-Sports Association (KeSPA). This organization’s goal is “increasing professionalization of [the] sport” and creating “the corresponding framework conditions that encouraged this development” (Larch 2019). South Korea has even tried to make eSports a part of the Olympic games by allowing eSports players to be members of the South Korean Olympic Committee. Overall, thanks to the popularity and widespread viewership of eSports events in South Korea, eSports is not just a cultural phenomenon within the country but is quickly becoming a global cultural phenomenon.

Sources:

Esport is a Viable Career Path in South Korea and Beyond

https://www.ispo.com/en/markets/seoul-how-city-addicted-esports

eSports in South Korea: Why is it so popular?