Pokemon Korea League bans foreigners

By Kang Aa-young

Rachel Stine, an American Pokemon buff, is having a heartbreaking moment.

Days before the start of the Pokemon Korea league tournament scheduled for this weekend, she received a phone call from an organizer, telling her that she couldn't participate because she is a foreigner.

"The company representative simply said we are not able to play this tournament because we are foreigners," said Stine, a 20-year veteran of Pokemon games.

The Pokemon Korean league is holding its 2017-18 Winter Trading Card Game and Nintendo DS Video Game tournament on Jan. 27 and 28 in Pangyo on the outskirt of Seoul.

Pokemon is a Japanese media firm specializing in trading cards, video games and the mobile game "Pokemon Go." Pokemon Korea is responsible for the event.

She cites no ban on foreigners in Europe, for instance.

This is the previous Pokemon Autumn League's registration policy that doesn't state any ban on foreigners. / The Korea Times

The coming winter league's registration policy states "Korean nationality only" rule. / The Korea Times

"Only players with Korean nationality may participate," according to the registration policy of the Pokemon Korea league on the website.

Stine said the Korean league added this rule only recently.

Pokemon Korea told The Korea Times it was not their intention to discriminate against foreigners.

"The Korean-nationality requirement was stated a while ago," a representative said. "Only Korean nationals are allowed to enter the game. The winner will be a Korean representative after all."

But Stine was among foreigners competing in the Autumn tournament last Oct. 7 and 8.

"They tried to kick us out in autumn. I said I would report them if they did, and they got scared, so they let us play," she said.

Foreign players who were barred from the event protested its main office in Japan, which said it doesn't promote any ban by nationality.

However, the Pokemon Korea representative stated, "Pokemon's rules differ from nation to nation."

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