| Korean e-Sports Association | |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2000 |
| Type | NGO |
| Purpose/focus | Manage e-Sports in South Korea |
| Location | Jung-gu, Seoul |
| Region served | South Korea |
| Membership | 11 member corporations |
| Official languages | Korean, English |
| Chief Executive | Seo Jin-woo |
| Main organ | General Committee |
| Parent organization | Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism |
| Affiliations | Korean Olympic Committee |
| Website | http://www.e-sports.or.kr |
The Korean e-Sports Association or KeSPA is a South Korean body established to manage e-sports in South Korea. As of September 2009[update] it was the managing body for 25 e-sports, including Starcraft: Brood War and Counter Strike.
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KeSPA was founded in 2000 after the approval of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Its official goal is to make e-Sports an official sporting event, and to solidify the commercial position of e-Sports in all sectors. The organization manages the broadcasting of e-Sports, the formation of new events, and the conditions in which progamers work, as well as encourage the playing of video games by the general population. In 2008 SK Telecom was given the leading position on its board, effectively making Seo Jin-woo the organization's president. KeSPA regulates broadcasting by e-sports channels such as Ongamenet, MBC Game, GOMtv, and Pandora TV, as well as 23 e-sports journalists and over twelve e-sports teams. Additionally, they have created a rankings system.[1][2]
In April 2010, eleven Starcraft players were implicated for match fixing during the 2009 e-Sports season. The Sanction Subcommittee of KeSPA banned them from playing e-Sports in the future,[3] and those implicated are due to be charged in criminal courts by KeSPA, as well as professional gaming teams. Along with progamers, the owners of over twelve illegal gambling websites, and former players and staff members will be charged. It is alleged that players were bribed to leak information, or lose games, allowing owners of the illegal gambling site to obtain huge profits. There was an outcry in Korea following these developments.[4]
In 2008, a slump in the distribution of e-Sports media was caused in part by the fear that Blizzard would demand royalties from KeSPA, because of their intellectual property rights.[5] In 2010, Blizzard Entertainment announced that negotiations were going poorly, and that they would only allow GomTV to broadcast Blizzard games.[6] KeSPA responded saying that they will challenge Blizzard's intellectual property rights. However, soon after, MBC Game, a gaming television station, announced that they will negotiate with GOMtv, which Newhua news speculated would lessen KeSPA's power.[7]
In May 2011, the dispute was finally settled, allowing OGN and MBC to officially broadcast Brood War games.[8]