Seoul’s E-Sports Culture
Seoul’s Tourist Trail
So you have seen you have visited Gyeongbokgung Palace, shopped at Myeong-dong, climbed the N Seoul Tower, and tasted all the delectable dishes Korea has to offer. It is true that this barely scratches the surface of things to do while on vacation in Seoul. There is definitely a sense, however, of only visiting those places your guidebook recommends while strolling down the busy metropolitan streets. As important as the museums, rebuilt palaces, and crowded markets are, there is so much more to Seoul than memorials and shopping malls. Seoul is a city full of vibrant life, no matter if it is in the form of K-pop singers or the latest fashion trends, Korea is a country that is constantly looking forward. Due to years of conflict and instability, as well as decades of foreign influence, there is a feeling that some of Korea have lost some of its identity. Foreign fast food chains are almost as plentiful as small Mom and Pop cafes, traditional Hanboks can only be seen on the rarest of occasions. Even though a lot of the traditional culture is dying out or at least found only in rural areas, Korea’s youth have developed something new and unique which has taken the world by storm. They have developed a sub-culture which should not be missed when visiting the youthful city of Seoul.
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Seoul’s Youth Culture
Korea, alongside Japan, is one of the most influential countries in the world. Nations across the globe are addicted to their television shows, k-pop, fashion, and makeup. There is not a country you can go through in the Far East without seeing the influence of Korean soft power. Among all of these exports, there is one that may not come right to one’s mind, that is Korea’s E-sports. For decades, Korea has dominated the field in online strategy gaming to the point where foreign teams will even recruit Korean players to increase their odds of winning on the competitive level. Games such as StarCraft, League of Legends, Overwatch, and DOTA have brought in droves of gamers and spectators alike to fill the seats in arenas around Seoul, thus creating the world of E-sports. The gaming culture is a dominant part of many young people’s lives, not only in Korea but the whole of East Asia. In order to truly understand Korea, it is important to understand both it’s traditional and modern culture.
You can get a full guide to Korean E-sports culture here!
The Capital of E-Sports
There are several main E-sports arenas in Seoul the largest being OGN E-Sports Stadium, followed by Nexon Stadium, FreeUP Studio, and the most recent LOL Park. It can be quite difficult to find locations and tickets online, to the extent that you could wind up at one arena and be watching a StarCraft match when you originally intended to be halfway across town watching League of Legends at a different stadium altogether. For some of the older games, take StarCraft for example, entry to these events are for free. The more popular LOL, on the other hand, is known to sell out weeks before the match, so be sure to check for tickets online well in advance. For the casual traveler just observing a different side of Korea, it doesn’t matter if you are at the largest stadium or one of the smaller arenas, any E-sports event is sure to leave you grinning at this enthusiastic sub-culture.
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The Athletes
When finally finding these hidden arenas tucked away in drab office buildings and back alleys, the doors open up to a world of elaborate sets, high-end electronics, soundproof gaming boxes, and stadium seating. For foreign spectators, headsets are given for English commentary on the match. Personally, I would rather hear the local language to further immerse myself in the Korean E-Sports culture. At the start of a match, the athletes will make their way to the separate ends of the stage, sitting in their respective soundproof capsules. Dramatic music then drums up the enthusiasm of the crowd while the two players begin to go head to head on the screen before the anxious crowd. The most captivating part of an E-SPorts event is not the players themselves, but the commentators whose speech and actions are so animated throughout the competition. After several rounds of games filled with countless cheers and gasps from the fans, the competition draws to a close.
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Another Side Of Korea
After a cutthroat match, the champion is then scooped away by reporters for an interview to further go into detail of his tactics and performance. When attending an E-Sports event you truly get the feeling that you are at any other sporting event such as football or basketball. The main difference, other than it being a virtual game, is the community around E-Sports. Many of the event organizers are quite excited to see foreign guests and are extremely welcoming. Even the western commentators are known to come out after the show to mingle with the fans. At a small StarCraft match, this may be the norm, but there can be no promise of intimacy with huge League of Legends competitions where seats are known to sell out. Regardless, spending an evening watching an E-Sports game in Seoul will deepen your understanding of modern Korean culture and bring you closer to the local people. You may even find yourself slowly being lost in the drama of the game unfolding across the mega screen.
