Park Jae-hyuk is a seasoned journalist who has provided comprehensive coverage of South Korea's corporate dynamics, economic policies, industry challenges and the global positioning of Korean companies. Based on the articles he has written since joining The Korea Times in 2016, his investigative approach has helped readers understand corporate governance, economic trends and business strategies shaping South Korea’s economy.
Disabled gamers join Coupang's esports team
Kim Eun-chae, fifth from left, captain of Coupang's esports team, pose with the team's gamers with disabilities in this photo released by the e-commerce firm, Thursday. Courtesy of Coupang
By Park Jae-hyuk
Nine gamers in their 20s with disabilities, along with a manager known as the "captain," were recently hired as employees of Coupang, joining the e-commerce firm’s esports team, which was established in October.
This is the first time that a company in the Korean retail industry has launched an esports team employing gamers with disabilities.
"In order to contribute to Coupang’s efforts to support gamers with disabilities, I accepted the offer to become a captain," Kim Eun-chae, a disabled gamer who joined Coupang as the manager of its esports team, said.
Coupang, which has been hiring disabled athletes since 2019, stated that the esports team was created to promote the economic independence of gamers with various disabilities, including developmental disorders, brain lesions and facial deformities.
Working four days a week from their homes located in various regions, the gamers are tasked with practicing their primary games for three hours a day and their secondary games for an hour, according to the e-commerce firm. Four of them are university students, who begin their work in the afternoon.
Among the games they play are League of Legends, FC Online, KartRider: Drift, Apex Legends and Tekken.
On Dec. 16, Lee Joo-young of Coupang defeated a Japanese player in Tekken during an esports event in Seoul for gamers with disabilities from Korea and Japan.
“Coupang has raised expectations that a star player like Faker could emerge among gamers with disabilities,” the head of the Seoul Community Rehabilitation Center said.
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The e-commerce firm plans to hire more disabled gamers next year.
“We will employ at least 10 more players with disabilities next year and support them in winning domestic and international events,” a Coupang official said.