The Korea e-Sports Industry Association held its spring conference on the 10th at Seoil University’s Hocheon Hall, focusing on strategies to invigorate the e-sports industry within local governments.

The event drew some 200 participants from 20 universities, all aiming to sketch out a policy roadmap for local governments and communities to prosper together. Proceedings kicked off with opening remarks from National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair Seo Young-kyo, Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee executive secretary Lim Oh-kyung, and Korea Game Policy Society President Lee Jae-hong.

In his keynote, Professor Song Seok-rok from Kyungdong University argued that local governments need to move beyond merely hosting one-off events. He suggested a comprehensive support system that covers local talent incubation, specialized facility construction, content planning, and corporate partnerships—even floating the idea of 'e-sports clubs' and an 'e-sports expo' (tentative title).

Regional sessions shared the current state and development strategies of the e-sports industry across the country. Experts representing each province—Dr. Kim Tae-dong (Gangwon Research Institute), Prof. Seo Dong-hwi (Catholic University of Daegu), Prof. Jeong Yeon-cheol (Honam University), Prof. Kim Se-yoon (Dankook University), Prof. Kim Yong-bin (Osan University), and Prof. Heo Geon-sik (Seoil University)—offered diverse policy directions tailored to their specific regional conditions.

The speakers largely agreed on a few key tasks for the sustainable growth of the industry: shifting policy focus from hardware to software, reviewing the industry’s scope in light of the 4th Industrial Revolution, and broadening the reach of e-sports culture from just the youth to all generations. They also stressed the need for an organic ecosystem built on collaboration between local universities, businesses, research institutes, and governments, underpinned by a strategy that highlights unique local identities.

The academic sessions presented a wide array of research. Topics ranged from improving the efficacy of training for disabled e-sports athletes and analyzing changes in e-sports titles centered on the Asian Games, to strategies for 'sportainment' in events and the potential of utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to ensure objectivity in judging breaking events.

A panel discussion moderated by Professor Kim Min-kyu (Ajou University), Professor Kim Ki-han (Seoul National University), and Dr. Jo Hyun-ju (Korea Institute of Sport Science) dove into what it takes to turn local government policies into actual, tangible results. The consensus? A clear division of roles between central and local governments, bespoke regional designs, professional training, and stronger ties with the industry itself are non-negotiable.

From an industry perspective, Punchline Films CEO Lee Sang-hoon pushed for a virtuous cycle where academic research feeds into the field, and industry demand flows back into academia, emphasizing the necessity of a lasting partnership between the two.

World Youth Sports, a co-host of the event, announced a collaboration with the Korea e-Sports Industry Association to foster healthier e-sports habits among youth. Chairman Lim Chang-jin noted, 'Our organization has long supported youth to thrive physically and mentally through sports, and it is vital that e-sports evolves into a healthy part of youth culture as well.'

Korea e-Sports Industry Association President Song Seok-rok concluded that the conference served as a firm confirmation that policy support from local governments can drive balanced regional development and ecosystem expansion, promising to continue these industrial and academic dialogues for the sake of future generations.