Hiring 10 Disabled Athletes
"Supporting Economic Independence and Expanding Social Participation"
All Work from Home While Improving Skills
At Least 10 More to Be Selected Next Year
Coupang announced on the 26th that it has become the first company in the domestic distribution industry to establish an e-sports position for people with disabilities and has begun recruiting players.
Disabled e-sports players and the captain affiliated with Coupang are taking a commemorative photo. Photo by Coupang
The Coupang Inclusion Management Team, a department dedicated to hiring and managing employees with disabilities, established the e-sports position for people with disabilities last October and has selected 10 people so far, including 9 players in their 20s and 1 captain in his 50s who manages the players. These individuals have developmental disabilities, brain lesions, facial disabilities, and more.
The e-sports position for people with disabilities was created to help them achieve economic independence and support their social participation. Coupang has supported training for athletes with disabilities since establishing a disabled athletes team in 2019, and this time expanded its support to include e-sports for people with disabilities. Coupang is the first distribution company to create an e-sports position for people with disabilities.
The selected players participate in e-sports competitions as Coupang employees. They train four days a week for four hours a day, selecting their main game (3 hours) and sub-game (1 hour) to practice. The competition titles include a variety of games such as League of Legends (LoL), where the world-renowned pro gamer 'Faker' Lee Sang-hyeok is active, as well as FC Online, KartRider Drift, Apex, and Tekken. Four of the players are university students who attend classes in the morning and work from home in the afternoon. Since remote work is the principle, the company explained that many players work not only in the metropolitan area but also in regions such as Daegu, Gwangju, Namwon, Naju, and Muan.
The team members receive the same welfare benefits as other Coupang employees, including the four major social insurances, Coupang Cash during holidays, and insurance for themselves and their families. Morale among the players has risen as the first victory was achieved just two months after the establishment of the e-sports position. Previously, player Lee Joo-young won against a Japanese player in the Tekken category at the '8th Korea-Japan Disabled E-Sports Competition' held on the 16th in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul.
Coupang plans to increase the recruitment of players with disabilities next year and provide full support so they can demonstrate their talents. A representative from the Coupang Inclusion Management Team said, "We plan to hire at least 10 more players next year and help them win awards at major domestic and international competitions," adding, "We will continue to make steady efforts to contribute to the activation of e-sports for people with disabilities."
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