No Korea in esports cup? Participation buffering after clash over selection ‘interference.’
Published: 28 Apr. 2026, 21:05
Updated: 28 Apr. 2026, 21:28
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- LEE JIAN
- [email protected]
![Korea's T1 team poses with a trophy during a press conference as it celebrates its victory against Korea's KT Rolster at the final of the League of Legends World Championship in Chengdu, China, on Nov. 9, 2025. From left are Coach Kim Jeong-gyun, and players "Doran" or Choi Hyeon-joon, "Oner" or Mun Hyeon-jun, "Faker" or Lee Sang-hyeok, "Gumayusi" or Lee Min-hyeong and "Keria" or Ryu Min-seok. [AFP/YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/04/28/0053b52a-1c20-43ae-94e8-fb48ce2c3a61.jpg)
Korea's T1 team poses with a trophy during a press conference as it celebrates its victory against Korea's KT Rolster at the final of the League of Legends World Championship in Chengdu, China, on Nov. 9, 2025. From left are Coach Kim Jeong-gyun, and players "Doran" or Choi Hyeon-joon, "Oner" or Mun Hyeon-jun, "Faker" or Lee Sang-hyeok, "Gumayusi" or Lee Min-hyeong and "Keria" or Ryu Min-seok. [AFP/YONHAP]
The global esports competition Esports Nations Cup (ENC) said it will contact Korean players directly to assemble a national team after a recent falling out with the Korea e-Sports Association (Kespa) resulted in a boycott of the tournament, according to local news on Monday.
“There has been no change to the commitment to the participation of the Korean national team in the ENC. We will ensure that Korea’s esports community is represented in a way that reflects its global standing,” an ENC organizer reportedly told Sports Seoul. “Over the next week, we will communicate directly with Korean players, coaches and stakeholders.”
The dispute began when ENC’s organizer, the Esports Foundation, allegedly “indirectly intervened” in the player selection process and pushed for the inclusion of specific players.
Kespa subsequently withdrew from the competition, stating, “This year’s ENC did not align with the values and direction of the national team selection system we have built,” and that it “regrets that we are unable to continue further collaboration," according to Sports Seoul.
Kespa oversees, regulates, and promotes esports in Korea, and it is a member of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) and the International e-Sports Federation. It was appointed as one of the ENC's National Team Partners and Managers, responsible for forming the Korean team, mobilizing communities and establishing the structures needed to enable participation and the growth of esports.
The KSOC also drew a firm line on the ENC’s attempt to bypass Kespa in forming the national team.
“Only athletes selected through officially recognized member associations are acknowledged as national team members, and it is unacceptable for a team that has not gone through the association to compete as the national team," a committee official told Sports Seoul. "If they participate as individuals or as a team, they cannot use the national flag, ‘Team Korea’ or the designation of national team.”
The ENC, set for its inaugural edition from Nov. 2 to 29 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is scheduled to be a biannual event.
BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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