E-sports, finally appearing as an official event in next year's Boys' Sports Festival! Rep. Kim Seung-soo receives a response from the Korea Sports Council
Oct 28, 2025
E-sports will be adopted at the 2026 National Youth Sports Festival (hereinafter referred to as Youth Sports Festival) in Busan next year.
Kim Seung-soo, a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, said in response to the National Assembly's audit submitted by the Korea Sports Council on the 28th that the national youth sports competition was able to be adopted by securing budget for participation in 2026," he explained, adding that he will officially appear at next year's Boys' Sports Festival as both conditions, which have been conditionally decided in 2024, have been met.
The Korea Sports Association will comprehensively review the status of international competitions (Olympics and Asian Games), the level of domestic supply and the status of membership in provincial and provincial sports councils, the status of athletes and teams registration by city and province over the past three years, and the virtuous cycle structure by age when new sports such as the National Sports Festival and the Youth Sports Festival are established. In response, the Korea Sports Council voted to conditionally adopt e-sports as a sport for the youth sports competition in February 2024 on the condition of securing a budget for participation expenses and establishing a registration system for athletes.
In the parliamentary audit data submitted by the Korea Sports Association to lawmaker Kim Seung-soo, the KOC's answer that the budget for e-sports participation in 2026 has been secured, and the youth sports competition is scheduled to be adopted by establishing a registration system for athletes has been officially confirmed.
In the meantime, lawmaker Kim said he has taken the lead in resolving current issues with a steady interest in revitalizing e-sports and fostering human resources. On May 17, he hosted the 'E-Sports Regional League Debate" and asked the president of the Korean Sports Council, Yoo Seung Min, to adopt official e-sports events at national competitions such as the youth sports event. Chairman Yoo agreed with Representative Kim's opinion and will actively support him." has been answered.
The adoption of the official e-sports event of the National Sports Festival is expected to be delayed due to the lack of budget reflection. In the response submitted by the Korean Sports Council to Representative Kim, "We are continuously making efforts to adopt e-sports as a national sports event, but the government's budget for 2026 will not reflect the relevant budget and will request re-reflection during next year's budgeting process." In his election pledge earlier this year for the chairman of the sports association, Chairman Yoo said that he would promote the adoption of e-sports events at the National Sports Festival and the National Sports Festival"I promised.
Meanwhile, according to the Korea Sports Council's sports support portal (as of October 25), a total of 986 e-sports athletes are currently registered, with 971 men and 15 women. Specifically, 443 people (435 men and eight women), 241 people (240 men and one woman) in the workplace sports team, 202 people (195 men and seven women), 180 people (all men), 247 people under the age of 18, 106 people under the age of 15 (105 men and 1 woman), and 10 people under the age of 12 (9 men and 1 woman).
Representative Kim Seung-soo said, `Currently, Saudi Arabia is trying to attract e-sports international events with enormous capital, and China is trying to preoccupy global e-sports norms, and the world is competing for e-sports leadership" He emphasized that "Korea is an e-sports suzerain state and desperately needs player development and systematic government support to protect its leadership in the global market."
E-sports is a game and sport, and policy consistency is lacking due to the division of duties within the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, so it is imperative to establish an integrated control tower that encompasses content and sports beyond the division within the ministry.
Kim Seung-soo, a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, said in response to the National Assembly's audit submitted by the Korea Sports Council on the 28th that the national youth sports competition was able to be adopted by securing budget for participation in 2026," he explained, adding that he will officially appear at next year's Boys' Sports Festival as both conditions, which have been conditionally decided in 2024, have been met.
The Korea Sports Association will comprehensively review the status of international competitions (Olympics and Asian Games), the level of domestic supply and the status of membership in provincial and provincial sports councils, the status of athletes and teams registration by city and province over the past three years, and the virtuous cycle structure by age when new sports such as the National Sports Festival and the Youth Sports Festival are established. In response, the Korea Sports Council voted to conditionally adopt e-sports as a sport for the youth sports competition in February 2024 on the condition of securing a budget for participation expenses and establishing a registration system for athletes.
In the parliamentary audit data submitted by the Korea Sports Association to lawmaker Kim Seung-soo, the KOC's answer that the budget for e-sports participation in 2026 has been secured, and the youth sports competition is scheduled to be adopted by establishing a registration system for athletes has been officially confirmed.
In the meantime, lawmaker Kim said he has taken the lead in resolving current issues with a steady interest in revitalizing e-sports and fostering human resources. On May 17, he hosted the 'E-Sports Regional League Debate" and asked the president of the Korean Sports Council, Yoo Seung Min, to adopt official e-sports events at national competitions such as the youth sports event. Chairman Yoo agreed with Representative Kim's opinion and will actively support him." has been answered.
The adoption of the official e-sports event of the National Sports Festival is expected to be delayed due to the lack of budget reflection. In the response submitted by the Korean Sports Council to Representative Kim, "We are continuously making efforts to adopt e-sports as a national sports event, but the government's budget for 2026 will not reflect the relevant budget and will request re-reflection during next year's budgeting process." In his election pledge earlier this year for the chairman of the sports association, Chairman Yoo said that he would promote the adoption of e-sports events at the National Sports Festival and the National Sports Festival"I promised.
Meanwhile, according to the Korea Sports Council's sports support portal (as of October 25), a total of 986 e-sports athletes are currently registered, with 971 men and 15 women. Specifically, 443 people (435 men and eight women), 241 people (240 men and one woman) in the workplace sports team, 202 people (195 men and seven women), 180 people (all men), 247 people under the age of 18, 106 people under the age of 15 (105 men and 1 woman), and 10 people under the age of 12 (9 men and 1 woman).
Representative Kim Seung-soo said, `Currently, Saudi Arabia is trying to attract e-sports international events with enormous capital, and China is trying to preoccupy global e-sports norms, and the world is competing for e-sports leadership" He emphasized that "Korea is an e-sports suzerain state and desperately needs player development and systematic government support to protect its leadership in the global market."
E-sports is a game and sport, and policy consistency is lacking due to the division of duties within the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, so it is imperative to establish an integrated control tower that encompasses content and sports beyond the division within the ministry.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
