[Reporter’s Notebook] SKT Treated 'LoL Worlds Victory' as a 'Festival Only for the Young'

At the recently concluded League of Legends (LoL) World Championship (Worlds), South Korea's 'T1' received the support of the entire nation. Even "street cheering" appeared. As the only surviving Korean team, T1 defeated Chinese teams consecutively in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals, lifting their fourth championship trophy overall. Some compared this to the "Shanghai Battle," when Lee Chang-ho 9-dan, the sole remaining player in the 2005 Baduk Nongshim Cup, defeated five Chinese and Japanese players in a row to lead his team to victory.

T1 is just a professional team, but it was treated like a "national representative." President Yoon Suk-yeol also sent a congratulatory message, saying they "demonstrated the status of the esports homeland." SK Telecom launched a "championship promotion." T1 started as "SKT T1" in 2004 and was incorporated as a subsidiary of SK Square, which was spun off from SKT in 2021. Although SKT separated from T1, it continues to support the team as the main sponsor.

However, the event target is "0 customers." "0 customers" refers to SKT subscribers aged between 14 and 34. The number 0 symbolizes a starting point, and "Young" carries a double meaning of youth. Among the 0 customers who applied, 5,234 were selected by lottery to receive prizes such as trips to the U.S. West Coast. SKT explained, "Since June, we have held T1 fan meetings exclusively for 0 customers, so this time as well, only 0 customers are eligible." However, a championship event cannot be the same as a regular event. Even recalling my days as a sports reporter, I have never seen an age restriction for championship events. When SKT T1 won the Worlds in 2016, the event targeted customers who purchased SKT-exclusive phones. Although limited to SKT subscribers, there was no age discrimination. In a different sport, after the LG Twins won the Korean Series in professional baseball for the first time in 29 years, LG Electronics held a 29% discount event on home appliances for all customers.

At the Gocheok Sky Dome, where the Worlds final was held, and at the street cheering site in Gwanghwamun, there were quite a few family fans. Those who enjoyed StarCraft in their 20s have now become 40s and still form the core of esports fans. According to the Korea Creative Content Agency's "2021 Esports Survey," 67.5% of people in their 40s and 50s have watched esports within the past year. Contrary to the image that esports is overwhelmingly popular among those in their teens to 30s, many middle-aged and older people watch and enjoy esports. It seems SKT has belittled the nationally supported 'Worlds' as a "festival for them only."

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