The government is also directly involved with the creation of the Korea Electronic Sports Association (KeSPA). Many broadcasters focus on showing eSports matches, with 24/7 broadcasts like OnGameNet and MBC Game. Korea became the mecca of esports industry in the world.
According to Newzoo, in 2018, about 28.9 million Koreans played games, more than half the population. 20% of the population of kimchi track eSports competitions several times a month, while up to 64% are hard fans of electronic sports tournaments.
Nearly 60% of men and 50% of women play games on smartphones at least once a month. Overall, 53% of Koreans play mobile games at least once a month. This percentage is higher when compared to consoles (19%) or PCs (37%)
Why eSports in Korea has not grown yet?
PC gaming is more popular on consoles here due to the uneasy relationship between Korea and Japan after World War. Korean people are indifferent to consoles, born from the land of the rising sun.
StarCraft, a game released by Blizzard Entertainment in 1998, was the first mainstay of Korean professional gaming tournaments. With the help of investment, organized from Blizzard itself, professional leagues quickly exploded. They were held in the hotel auditorium, shortly after appearing on the stadium.
In 2004, the StarCraft professional tournament final attracted 100,000 fans to Gwangalli Beach in Busan. At that time, Blizzard CEO Paul Sams had to say, “My God, this (eSports) must have reached a new height.”
Choi Yeon-Sung has long had a habit of restricting herself from going out. Every time he had to go out, he often lowered his head, walked quickly to avoid the crowd screaming, trying to approach with a series of arms holding out his books to ask for autographs.
Choi is not some famous movie star or singer. He is a gamer in the Starcraft game, often known for nickname “iloveOOv”.
