South Korean Lawmaker Advocates for Increased Esports Support
Written with artificial intelligence.
On October 23, Representative Kim Seung-soo urged the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to enhance funding for esports, highlighting the stark contrast in support between esports and traditional sports. Minister Choi Hwi-young committed to personally overseeing improvements in esports support and addressing issues faced by the PC bang industry.
Call for Enhanced Government Support
On October 23, during a National Assembly audit, Representative Kim Seung-soo of the People Power Party emphasized the need for increased government backing for esports. He revealed that the Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) receives only about 90 million won in support, a stark contrast to the nearly 8 billion won allocated to traditional sports like soccer, baseball, and basketball.
Highlighting Disparities and Potential
Rep. Kim pointed out that esports has proven its value by contributing significantly to South Korea's medal tally, with four medals at the recent Asian Games. He argued that such achievements warrant fairer treatment and resources to ensure that emerging sports like esports are not neglected in favor of more traditional disciplines. He also referenced the introduction of Virtual Taekwondo at the Nagoya Asian Games, noting Korea's lagging position in this area.
Addressing Industry Challenges
The lawmaker also discussed structural challenges within the gaming industry, particularly the decline in arcade and indie games as mobile gaming dominates. He raised concerns over the struggles faced by the PC bang industry, particularly with the rise of hybrid businesses like 'gametels' and the pressures from major game publishers. He criticized practices by Riot Games that he argued unfairly burden PC bangs, although these claims about service blocking were contested by the company’s policies.
Government Response
Minister Choi Hwi-young responded to Rep. Kim’s inquiries, assuring that he would take a personal interest in enhancing esports support. He acknowledged the poor conditions for gaming environments like PC bangs and promised to investigate unfair practices affecting these businesses. Choi emphasized the importance of integrating domestic games into the esports framework to foster growth in this sector.