Taebaek Dreams to be ‘the origin state of the e-sports Olympic’
Taebaek city in Ganwondo where will hold the world first e-sports international competition is in a big dream to be ‘the origin state of the e-sports Olympic’.
According to Taebak city in Dec. 8th, 2009, International e-Sports Federation (IeSF) will open 2009 IeSF Challenge for 5 days from Dec. 10th to 14th in the O2 Resort in Taebaek.
128 players from 20 countries including U.S.A, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, China, Japan, India, South Africa, etc., will participate in 2009 IeSF Challenge, the world first international competition, for the 1st standing of three games, Warcraft3, FIFA Online 2, and AVA.
IeSF will develop IeSF Challenge as the e-sports Olympic by holding the international competition every year.
Wonseok Oh, a secretary-general of IeSF, said, “(we will) lay the foundation of growing (IeSF) as the world authoritative organization like IOC or FIFA by increasing e-sports global competitiveness and influence of the federation through IeSF Challenge”.
For this, TaeBaek City where is the place of the 1st IeSF Challenge will focus its all capabilities on securing the origin state of the e-sports Olympic and altering it to tourism resource.
First of all, Taebaek City decided to set a monument for the 1st IeSF Challenge in the O2 Resort and to have an opening ceremony like lightening the Flame in Taebaek City.
Indeed, they will make the trophy which can use more than 100 years with IeSF while recording IeSF Challenge history with building a website.
IeSF began mainly by Korea’s effort has 9 members including Germany, Austria, Begium, Switzerland, etc., and 5 more countries like UK, Spain, South Africa, etc., will join the membership.
More than 50 countries join IeSF membership program, so in 2013 when IeSF will get internationally well known, it is known that the 1st e-Sports Olympic will be held.
SooHwang Lee, the head of business strategy department in Taekbaek City, said, “if IeSF Challenge develops to be the Olympic game, Taebaek City will build Entertainment-City(E-City) which has themes of game and animation so that the city can stand up as the city of international e-sports”.
In other words, Taebaek City holds various e-sports events including tournaments for members of national team, national amateur competition, etc., from 2007 since High 1 resort is in the progress of building E-City on 100million m2 size of land with total expense 346.1million won until 2020.
