[Summary] "Sincere Apology" Justice Party Proportional No.1 Ryu Hojung, 'Proxy Gaming' Controversy

Ryu Hojung "No financial transactions... A very wrong act, apologize"
Former pro gamer Hwang Heedu, Democratic Party Nomination Management Committee member "Many young people are very angry"

Jung Eui-dang, leader of the Justice Party, is speaking at the '21st National Assembly Election Justice Party Proportional Representation Candidate Selection Report Meeting' held at the National Assembly on the 8th. On the right is Ryu Ho-jeong, who was selected as the number one proportional representation candidate. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] On the 10th, controversy arose over Ryu Ho-jeong (28), a preliminary candidate nominated as the number one proportional representative by the Justice Party for the April 15 general election, who allegedly raised her game rank through so-called "boosting," a method of having acquaintances play the online game "League of Legends (LoL)" on her behalf. Although Candidate Ryu immediately apologized, criticism is growing that she gained benefits through unfair means.

Hwang Hee-doo, a nomination management committee member from the Democratic Party of Korea and a former professional gamer, pointed out that the boosting controversy involving Ryu Ho-jeong is "an unimaginably serious issue."

"Boosting" refers to the act of paying others to play games on one's behalf to raise the rank of one's game character, which undermines gaming culture. To prevent this, the National Assembly enacted the "Boosting Punishment Act" in June last year.

On the 10th, Hwang posted on his Facebook, saying, "Many people might think Candidate Ryu's 'LoL boosting' incident is not a big deal," and added, "As a former professional gamer, I will briefly explain."

Hwang explained, "A famous player named Dopa (압도) was stripped of his player qualification and had his account suspended due to boosting issues," and added, "To put it simply, it's like being caught cheating on an exam."

On the morning of the 20th of last month, Hwang Hee-du, co-chairman of the Democratic Party's Election Countermeasures Committee, is speaking at the launch ceremony held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

He emphasized, "This is not a matter that can be easily dismissed as simply lending an ID," and said, "Many young people are very angry upon hearing that Ryu is running as the number one proportional representative candidate for the Justice Party."

He continued, "Can she really be considered a figure who can represent the Justice Party, which pursues a just society, as the number one candidate?" and added, "I am very curious about how the media and public opinion would have reacted if she were the number one candidate for the Democratic Party," tagging #WhatIsJustice.

In response, Candidate Ryu stated, "I thoroughly reflect on my carelessness and recklessness," and "I sincerely apologize to those who may have been disappointed even a little."

Ryu posted a statement on her blog apologizing. She said, "This incident happened in 2014. As a LoL player, I carelessly shared my account with acquaintances around me," and added, "This became a problem, and I stepped down from my position as club president. It was a very wrong thing to do."

She continued, "It was not something easily forgiven among gamers. Especially, it contributed to the prejudice in the gaming community that distrusts female players, causing harm to many people," and said, "I sincerely apologize to those who may have been disappointed even a little."

She said, "After becoming the number one proportional representative candidate for the Justice Party, I expected my past mistakes to come up again. I wanted to reveal the truth without lies and take it as an opportunity for further reflection," and added, "However, I want to correct unfounded rumors."

She explained, "There was no monetary transaction. There was no economic benefit or cheating in competitions," and clarified, "The account sharing controversy happened in May 2014, and I joined my second dismissed workplace in January 2015. The claim that I resigned because of this issue is not true."

Candidate Ryu is from Changwon, Gyeongnam, and graduated from Ewha Womans University with a degree in sociology. During university, she served as president of the gaming club "Klass Ewha" and was the secretary general of the National eSports University Federation "ECCA." She also worked as a BJ (Broadcasting Jockey) creating gaming content on AfreecaTV and Twitch.

After graduating, she joined the domestic game company Smilegate. While working there, she pushed for the establishment of a labor union but resigned two weeks before the union's launch in 2018. Afterwards, she worked as the publicity director for the Chemical, Textile, and Food Workers' Union (Hwaseom Union) affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.