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The Korean team SK Telecom T1 after the final of the League of Legends 2019 Rift Rivals.


Instead of K-pop or Hallyu, I was motivated to get to know Korea and even study Korean because of e-sports, specifically League of Legends (LoL) and the T1 team.


My adventure with e-sports started almost four years ago. In 2016, I joined LoL thanks to a friend. I learned of professional video game competitions and that Korea is a pioneer in the field. The Korea e-Sports Association was founded in 2000, leading to famous game competitions in Korea like StarCraft and LoL.


When I interacted with the LoL community, I discovered that the world's best player was Korean, Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, who competed in League Champions Korea (LCK) on the T1 team in 2016. Though I initially didn't understand the dynamics of e-sports, the concept piqued my curiosity and I began to see games in the Korean league.

In the beginning, the language barrier interfered with my understanding as the content was mostly in Korean and English. But I soon discovered the Latin American leagues, which have since unified into one. I have since not stopped watching the competitions in the Korean league.


T1 also became my favorite team and Lee emerged as one of my favorite players, along with others like Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu and Song "Smeb" Kyung-ho. As a spectator, I saw many players reach the top but also sad moments like the end of their careers.


What I admire about Korean players is their discipline, perseverance and the competitive spirit they show in games. LCK is an extremely competitive league with teams looking to win not just domestic titles but also international competitions. This is nothing strange since Korean teams have five world LoL titles.

This championship has been held since 2011, and though Korean teams have not won a title in the last two years, the participation of Korean players in other leagues such as those in North America, Europe or even Latin America is a constant. In addition, the defeats, far from weakening the Korean players, instead motivates them to try harder, improve and give their best in each match, as well as polishing their strengths and improving their weaknesses.

In my home country of Mexico, e-sports continue to grow through tournaments featuring a variety of video games. For example, the Latin American LoL this year moved its headquarters to Mexico City, and several teams in that league have Korean players.


Finally, e-sports has helped me discover a culture and a country I have much affection for. My love for e-sports and my admiration of Korean players have led me to explore new horizons. Thus I decided to become a Korea.net Honorary Reporter to share my passion for Korean e-sports and their players.


Korea.net