No pain, no game: how South Korea turned itself into a gaming powerhouse

"He was midway through an interview to become a professional gamer. She said when I played computer games, my personality got worse, that I was addicted to games, the 27-year-old recalls. Then Son won an amateur tournament. The prize money was 2m won (1,000). He handed all of it to his parents. From then on, they believed in me, he says. Almost a decade later, Son, known professionally as Lehends, is a multiple champion in League of Legends, a competitive strategy game."

"In October this year, President Lee Jae Myung declared that games are not addictive substances, a sharp break from 2013, when there was a legislative push to classify gaming as one of four major social addictions alongside drugs, gambling and alcohol. That shift has been accompanied by rapid growth. Between 2019 and 2023, the domestic gaming market expanded by 47% to be worth 22.96tn won (11.7bn), with industry exports rising 41% in that time to 10.96tn won (5.6bn)."

"Part of that ecosystem is esports: organised competitive gaming centred on professional leagues and teams. In 2023, the sector was worth about 257bn won (128m), a small share of the wider industry, but one that carries an outsized role as a showcase and marketing engine, shaping how games are promoted, sponsored and consumed. Korea now ranks fourth globally in gaming market share, behind the United States, China and Japan."

Son Si-woo's early gaming conflict with his mother ended after he won an amateur tournament and handed prize money to his parents, leading to family support. Now known as Lehends, he is a multiple League of Legends champion who plays for Nongshim RedForce. President Lee Jae Myung declared that games are not addictive substances, reversing earlier 2013 efforts to label gaming a major social addiction. Domestic gaming value rose 47% from 2019 to 2023 to 22.96tn won, with exports up 41% to 10.96tn won, making gaming nearly two-thirds of Korean content exports. Esports, worth about 257bn won in 2023, functions as a promotional showcase and helps position Korea fourth globally in gaming market share.

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