Gyeongju to host 18th President's Cup amateur esports championship

Team North Jeolla celebrates after clinching its first League of Legends title at the President's Cup Amateur Esports Championship in August 2024. Courtesy of Korea e-Sports Association

The national finals of the 18th President's Cup Amateur Esports Championship will take place this Saturday and Sunday at the Gyeongju Indoor Gymnasium in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday.

Organized by the culture ministry alongside the Korea e-Sports Association, North Gyeongsang Province, the City of Gyeongju and the Gyeongju Cultural Foundation, the annual tournament has run continuously since 2009. The initiative aims to build a sustainable foundation for amateur talent while promoting balanced regional growth across Korea's esports ecosystem. Admission is free for all in-person spectators. For those watching remotely, the entire event will be livestreamed online via Naver's Chzzk, SOOP (formerly AfreecaTV) and YouTube.

This year's competition brings together roughly 300 players and officials representing all 16 of Korea's provincial-level administrative regions. Competitors will face off across five distinct titles: League of Legends, the Korean-developed battle royale hit Eternal Return, football simulation game EA Sports FC Online, mobile shooter Brawl Stars and action-puzzle title Puyo Puyo eSports.

The highest-performing overall region will be honored with the prestigious President's Award. Meanwhile, regional category winners in each game will receive the Culture Minister's Award, alongside additional ministerial citations awarded to participating regions for exemplary sportsmanship and engagement.

The official opening ceremony kicks off at noon Saturday at the main gymnasium venue. Visitors can also enjoy a rich lineup of side activities, including festival events held in tandem with the Gyeongju Waterfall Festival, which will run from Aug. 15–23. Additionally, the venue will feature hands-on interactive esports experience zones for people with disabilities in the lead-up to the 4th National Esports Championship for the Disabled, scheduled for Aug. 21–23.

"To take the esports industry to the next level, we must build a stronger grassroots amateur ecosystem grounded in the regions," said a ministry official in charge of culture policy. "Moving forward, the ministry will expand support for regional esports tournaments alongside the President's Cup and spare no policy support to achieve balanced regional development in the esports sector."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.