On Aug. 28, the opening ceremony for Korea’s esports national team for the Hangzhou Asian Games was held. The players for four events, League of Legends (LoL), PUBG Mobile, Street Fighter V, and FIFA Online 4, assembled under the banner of the national representatives. The event, hosted by the Korean Esports Association (KeSPA) in partnership with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, included the signing of the partnership, the introduction of the national representatives, media interviews, and fan signing sessions.
The Korean esports national team consists of 15 members across the four games: ▲LoL’s Choi “Zeus” Woo-je, Seo “Kanavi” Jin-hyeok, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon, Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk, Ryu “Keria” Min-seok, ▲PUBG Mobile’s Kim “SPORTA” Seong-hyun, Kim “TIZ1” Dong-hyeon, Park “FAVIAN” Sang-cheol, Kwon “BINI” Soon-bin, Choi “Cyxae” Young-jae, ▲Street Fighter V’s Kim Kwan-woo, Yeon Je-gil, and ▲FIFA Online 4’s Kwak Joon-hyuk, Park Ki-yeong. Guiding them are coaches Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun, Yoon Sang-hoon, Kang Sung-hoon, and Shin Bo-seok.
▲ Seoul Mayor, Oh Se-hoon
Addressing the audience with welcoming remarks, Kim Young-man, the President of the Korean Esports Association, conveyed his encouragement to the national representative players. To the players, he said, “For the sake of our fellow players and all fans, I hope you give your utmost and even more. Illuminate the leadership of the esports powerhouse and be role models for many. May you instill confidence and hope in those who stand against prejudices to nurture their dreams. Also, become humble national representatives who know how to express gratitude. We will all support and remember the determination of this team.”
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon followed with a congratulatory speech. He emphasized the significance of hosting the inaugural official esports national team ceremony for the Asian Games at the Seoul City Hall. Mayor Oh declared, “The esports industry is a core driving force behind Seoul’s economy, and Seoul will wholeheartedly support the game industry and culture’s symbiotic growth. I anticipate that the national representatives will demonstrate their extraordinary determination, and when our citizens rally together to support them, we can expect results that go beyond the extraordinary.”
Furthermore, the Korean Esports Association and the Seoul Metropolitan Government signed a memorandum of understanding at the ceremony. As the first local autonomous entity to achieve the title of ‘Official Partner City of Esports National Representatives,’ Seoul has committed to enhancing the competitive capabilities of the Asian Games esports national team through training support, running ‘Esports Companion Programs’ for marginalized groups, and reinforcing collaboration for esports industry development.
▲ The event was hosted by caster Jun and Kim Soo-hyeon
▲ Street Fighter V head coach Kang Sung-hoon, and players, Kim Kwan-woo, Yeon Je-gil
▲ PUBG Mobile head coach Yoon Sang-hoon, and players SPORTA, TIZ1, FAVIAN, BINI, Cyxae
▲ Fifa Online head coach Shin Bo-seok, and players Kwak Joon-hyuk, Park Ki-yeong
▲ Last but not least, the LoL national representatives take the stage
▲ Head coach kkOma, and players Zeus, Kanavi, Faker, Chovy, Ruler, Keria
▲ Formidable mid-laners, just a glimpse away
“Extraordinary and beyond” – KeSPA and Seoul hold ceremony for the esports representatives for the Asian Games
