Park So-yeon first woman to play for e-sports powerhouse South Korea
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Park So-yeon will compete in the survival horror game Identity V at the Asian Games.
PHOTO: AFP
- Park So-yeon is the first woman to join South Korea's national e-sports team, competing in Identity V at the Asian Games.
- South Korea's team, led by star player Lee Sang-hyeok (Faker), aims to win gold and maintain their strong e-sports reputation.
- E-sports will expand to 13 games at the 2026 Asian Games, reflecting its growing importance and popularity in the region.
AI generated
SEOUL – Park So-yeon is set to become the first woman to represent South Korea’s national team in e-sports and wants to pave the way for more in the male-dominated world of competitive gaming.
South Korea is an e-sports powerhouse, and Park has been selected to compete in the survival horror game Identity V at the Asian Games in Nagoya and the wider Aichi area from Sept 19 to Oct 4.
The 23-year-old Park, the only woman on South Korea’s team of 36 e-sports competitors heading to Japan, said she wanted to “go all out and have no regrets”.
“Since I am the first, I feel a great responsibility to pave the way for other women athletes who love playing games as much as I do,” said Park, who majored in taekwondo in college.
South Korea’s formidable team will be spearheaded by superstar gamer Lee Sang-hyeok.
Better known as Faker, he was part of the South Korean team that won gold in League Of Legends at the 2023 Asian Games in China’s Hangzhou.
“Since the South Korean people have high hopes for the e-sports category, I want to fulfil that hope and give them back pride and honour,” he said.
“I will do my very best in my role to ensure that our team wins the championship and brings back the gold medal.”
South Korea won two golds, one silver and one bronze at the 2023 Asian Games, when e-sports made its debut as an official medal event.
They were second in the medals table behind China.
The number of e-sports events has risen for the 2026 Asian Games, with 13 different games being used in competition. AFP