2026 Asia Esports Championship to Open in Jinju, Bringing Together National Teams from Seven Countries

Jinju City announced that anticipation is growing for the upcoming international event, as the final rosters for the national teams representing each participating country have been confirmed for the "2026 Asia Esports Championship," which will be held at Jinju Indoor Gymnasium from April 24 to 26, 2026.

This competition will feature seven Asian countries, including South Korea, China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Mongolia. Each country has selected and finalized its national team based on its own selection criteria.

The tournament will consist of six official events: ▲Battlegrounds Mobile ▲Street Fighter 6 ▲Tekken 8 ▲The King of Fighters XV ▲eFootball ▲Eternal Return, as well as a K-POP dance artificial intelligence (AI) platform demonstration event, "Stepin," making a total of seven events.

[Photo by Jinju City] List of South Korea National Team Athletes

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In particular, this championship is an international-scale esports event held ahead of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games scheduled for September, serving as a preliminary stage where top athletes from across Asia will gather to assess their competitiveness.

The South Korean national team is also impressive. For Battlegrounds Mobile, five players will participate: Park Sangcheol (FAVIAN), Song Suan (NolBu), Jeon Hyunbin (HYUNBIN), Kim Junha (XZY), and Kim Donghyun (TIZ1).

For Street Fighter 6, Hangzhou Asian Games national athlete Yeon Jaegil (DakCorgi) will compete; for Tekken 8, the world-class player Bae Jaemin (Knee); and for The King of Fighters XV, Lee Gwangno (MadkoF) will represent South Korea.

For Eternal Return, the Yangju Whales team and the Daegu Guardians team, selected through team-based qualifiers, will participate. Top-tier players will also compete in eFootball PC and mobile events, promising a high level of competition.

The tournament schedule will begin at 10:00 a.m. on April 24 with matches in Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, The King of Fighters XV, and eFootball.

After the opening ceremony at 11:00 a.m. on April 25, the first-day matches for Eternal Return and Battlegrounds Mobile will take place. On the final day, April 26, the finals for these two events will be held. The demonstration event Stepin will be continuously operated in a dedicated space within the venue throughout the tournament period.

Jinju City plans to expand this event beyond a simple competition, transforming it into a cultural festival that combines esports and local culture. During the tournament, a variety of side events will be held in the vicinity of the venue, including exhibitions featuring silk, gaming-themed lanterns and photo zones, cosplay parades, outdoor theatrical performances, and the Jinju Youth Fringe.

In addition, the city is actively preparing in areas such as transportation, accommodation, safety, and tourism, while also promoting both online and offline marketing campaigns to attract domestic and international visitors. Programs linking the event with local tourism resources are also being vigorously pursued.

A Jinju City official stated, "As top athletes from across Asia are participating, we will do our utmost to ensure the successful operation of the tournament so that Jinju can take a step forward as an international city where esports and cultural tourism come together."

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