International e-Sports Federation, Secretary General Won Suk Oh
Somehow as a trend, it seems that people get recognized better as getting more uproarious and more outstanding. The majority who are making a living as taking their lumps silently does not appeal their existence a lot. Certainly, there must be a lot of people occupied with somewhat meaningful businesses, but we don’t know, and don’t even want to know. At the period of crisis and chaos, truly important thing to us might be a silent step forward rather than an aimless commotion. There are things can be done by simple effort, but also things can be done within patience for a long period. However, it seems that people don’t see the slow-but-steady steps as they make all haste.
Including Korea, the suzerain of e-sports, global e-sports field is facing a tough and chaotic period. There are still somehow significant trials ongoing, but, yes, it is a chaotic period now for sure. Even for Korean market, being the victim of aimless showoff, it is pitiful that general perception on games is being negatively generalized as overlooking the deliberation on its nature. Excessive control or micromanaging derived from negative bandwagon may consequently turn all parties as victims without any alternative. The correspondence between problems of the youth and gaming is, of course, a crucial social issue, but people, based on the confidence among members of the society, should respect the field as it keeps the social agreements rather than prescribing ostrich.
The economy curve seems as one cycle when looking at it in the distance, but if you see it closer, it consists of numerous of small climb and dive curves. Likewise, even if it feels like a wane or a sinking boat, it could actually be the slow and steady upward curve when looking back after a while. Thus, people who get frightened beforehand and jump overboard cannot obtain the fruition of endurance. I carefully hope people may put at least half of the passion for arguments on understanding each other.
Sometimes I also feel restless; however, I may regret to the death if I stop doing this now. Recently, a major company in Korea came to ask for an advice and support on their abroad expansion project related to e-sports marketing. There, again I found it worth working in this field with the fact that common and minor part we have can help somebody in huge manner. The capacity of our organization, IeSF, as comprised of national associations with their governments’ approval might be a lot more significant than we think, and it encourages me.
We can definitely tell we can encourage our member associations strongly only when IeSF makes success stories. Also, since we have been emphasizing to create e-sports base as Korea, or to establish structure and network just as Korea. Thus, regardless of recent crisis, we need to overcome all the trials and create another success stories on this land in Korea. There, we should be able to approach to all the young people in the world who glow with enthusiasm for e-sports as future-oriented sports and culture. We need to accept all the criticism toward us in a humble way, however, at the same time, we should not forget the capacity that we have accumulated.
With the insight that all these issues are resulted from lack of professionals and specialists in this field, we have started e-sports international human resource training project through academic-industrial cooperation. Although it is just small stride for right now, we have great expectation for it since our goal is huge. We are planning to select fine resources among the pool completed the course, and put them in the field as encouraging related organizations and companies to employ them. It may take time to earn practical result, but undoubtedly it will bring more and better young with abilities into this field.
In the near future, when the time each government recognize e-sports and start manipulating it directly or indirectly comes, it may become harder to host events and their related activities, which are a lot easier now. When this control happens either with the name of sports or culture, human and material capacity and network that we accumulate will prove its real worth.
It took 10years to invite Winter Olympics to Pyongchang, Korea. It represent that it is not that easy to drag outer world into ours. Therefore, as we have chance to bring all parties into our stake through making our own world with our own standards, burning with our passion must be only mission that we have for right now.
It is time to look around and encourage our comrades who are carrying on their mission silently. A Little concern may turn to be fuel for them to move forward. For those who are carrying on things cannot be explained with the politics or economical logics of the current, calm and still regard communing with their vision must be of huge help for them.
