Sirius Vision - eSports in Korea

1. Korea is a proud nation that places high value on winners and strong performers, a mentality that has driven its professional gamers to victory on the international stage time and time again. As the League of Legends 2014 World Championship heads to Seoul, Korea, local fans will watch their favorite teams with a cautious optimism, eager to see the Summoner’s Cup stay in Korea for another year. It is, after all, only natural that a Korean team should win Worlds -- it is what is expected of them.
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3. The scale of esports in Korea is certainly the largest in the world. Massive venues such as the Busan Bexco Stadium and Haeundae Beach are constantly packed to the brim with thousands of fans, keen to see their favorite teams and players battle it out. When considered alongside the massive success of Korean pro gamers in a multitude of esports, it’s easy for the average foreign fan to look upon Korea and see it as a haven for esports. A place where masterful pro gamers can hang among the most elite of footballers.
4. The Korean government is also on board with competitive gaming and even has a department for the purpose of governing esports, named the Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA). Huge sponsors such as Samsung, SK Telecom, and Korea Telecom (three of Korea's largest companies -- imagine Google or Comcast sponsoring an esports team) all lend their support to various esports teams in the form of gaming houses, multiple coaches, and equipment. With the above in mind, one can hardly be blamed for thinking that pro gaming is a well-accepted, normal part of Korean culture.
5. Gaming is undoubtedly an important part of Korea’s youth culture -- many students can be found spending their precious free time in “PC bangs,” or Internet cafes, primarily focused on online gaming. League of Legends is currently the number one game being played in Korean PC bangs, but the proportion of League of Legends players who are also dedicated esports fans, according to OnGameNet Global contributor Michael “Chexx” Kiefer, is quite low. “The majority of fans are really casual. There are a few hardcore fans -- some very dedicated fangirls, as you would know if you watch the OnGameNet stream -- but they are easily in the minority.”