South Korea achieved first place in League of Legends at the 2022 Asian Games, taking an undefeated 2-0 win against the Chinese Taipei national team.

Although the ‘South Korean Superstar,’ “Faker” could not participate at the finals due to a suspected flu, the South Korean team was able to maintain their lead and undefeated record, taking a 2-0 win against the Chinese Taipei national team.

Since 2018, League of Legends has been officially introduced to the Asian Gamesas an esport, and was declared as a medal event just last year of 2022.

The Asian Games, also often referred to as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event that is held every four years.

The event invites talented athletes in various fields from all over Asia.

Due to the 2018 Asian Games that left yet unsolved desires behind, many South Korean fans kept their hopes high for the 2022 games.

However, the inevitable postponement of these games due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, once again left the fans’ aspirations in limbo.

The official 2022 Asian Games ended up being postponed until 23 September 2023, finally hosted by Hangzhou, China. Esports at this iteration found its grand opening the next day.

A noticeable surge in interest in esports could be observed based on the substantial increase of participants in comparison to the previous iteration of the Asian Games.

A total of 476 athletes from 30 nations competed in esports at the 2022 Asian Games, with 15 national teams participating in the League of Legends rounds.

This year’s South Korea’s national team roster comprised of seven players, including the coach, including players such as Choi Woo-je (Zeus), Seo Jin-hyeok (Kanavi), Lee Sang-hyeok (Faker), Jeong Ji-hoon (Chovy), Park Jae-hyuk (Ruler), Ryu Min-seok (Keria), and Kim Jeong-gyun (kkOma; coach).

Exhibiting remarkable chemistry, the South Korean national team took repeated victories throughout all rounds, defeating all rounds with an impeccable record.

Public sentiment, notably South Korean public opinion, show endless support and pride for its nation.

Many acknowledge South Korea’s efforts for achieving a well-deserved gold medal after unfortunately losing to China at the previous games.

While recognising South Korea’s accomplishments, it is important to recognise other nations’ efforts too.

The involvement of diverse nations in esports is crucial to raise awareness regarding the type of sport, especially since an endless list of video games still await to be presented at multi-sport events as medal events.

Kate Han
Grade 10
Seoul Foreign School