Mayor Lee Kwonjae of Osan: "eSports to Be Fostered as the City's Future Growth Engine"

Osan eSports Festa Successfully Concludes
"Plans Underway for eSports Arena in Unamteul AI City"

Osan City in Gyeonggi Province announced on September 23 that it had successfully hosted the '2024 Osan eSports Festa' at the Osan Five-Color Culture and Sports Center's alternative gymnasium on September 21.

At the '2024 Osan eSports Festa' held at the Osan Five-Color Culture Center's alternative gymnasium, Osan Mayor Lee Kwonjae and other attendees are participating in the 'Osan eSports Vision Proclamation Ceremony.' Photo by Osan City

This event, co-hosted by the city and Osan University, was held simultaneously at two venues: the Osan University eSports Stadium and the Osan Five-Color Culture and Sports Center's alternative gymnasium. The highlight of the event was the Osan Mayor's Cup 'Valorant Top Agent Selection Tournament' held at Osan University. The tournament, which attracted participants aged 15 to 39, was won by the team 'Yoon Joonsang His Glasses Dominate the World,' composed of Osan University students, who took home a prize of 2 million won.

At the Osan Five-Color Culture and Sports Center, matches of the soccer game FC Online were broadcast live with commentary. In this tournament, Kang Dongwoo, who competed under the ID 'New York Onnuri Pharmacy,' secured first place. As a special event, a KartRider racing game tournament was also held.

The venue also featured booths for experiencing and purchasing Nintendo games, as well as a 'Retro Arcade' corner and a 'Board Game Booth,' which attracted the interest of middle-aged and older attendees. In addition, a cosplay contest was held, with citizens participating in costumes of various game characters.

This year's eSports Festa was an event that Mayor Lee Kwonjae, in his eighth term as a popularly elected mayor, has focused on as part of his industrial and youth policies. Mayor Lee has actively promoted the event to create entertainment options that attract young people to Osan, as well as to foster the eSports industry, which is gaining attention as a new industry. The city plans to establish an eSports arena as part of the Unamteul AI City urban development project and, in the medium to long term, aims to attract nationwide tournaments.

Mayor Lee stated, "eSports has not only become a culture enjoyed and shared by all generations, but is also developing into a new growth industry that creates complex added value. Going forward, we will build an eSports arena in Unamteul AI City to create a youth culture convergence space where anyone, regardless of age or gender, can enjoy eSports."