We've all heard the stories. Gamers signing autographs in the streets. Dedicated e-Sports stadiums. Crowds of thousands lining up to catch a glimpse of the GSL (Global StarCraft II League). So just how true is it? Is South Korea really gaming's Jerusalem, where foreign gaming pilgrims make their way, drawn in by the lure of a land where gaming isn't just a common hobby, but a viable career option?

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In search of the answer to these questions, I landed in Seoul, the bustling metropolis at the centre of it all. My destination: the offices of GomTV where retired StarCraft: Brood War star 'Mr Chae' masterminds the biggest incarnation of Korea's gaming obsession yet: the Global StarCraft II League.Despite my poor Korean language skills (none) it wasn't hard to get a feel for the impact gaming has on Seoulites. One of the first, and essential, things you do in Seoul is take the magnificent (fast, efficient, multi-lingual) subway. Depending on what time it is, trains can be jam-packed, yet surprisingly orderly, in true Korean style. No matter the time of day, one thing remains constant: the fact that pretty much every single person is playing a game – any game - on their smartphone.It's not uncommon to see an entire row of people with their phones and associated headphones whiling the train ride away with some light gaming. This wouldn't seem too odd in and of itself, except it's quite normal for middle aged guys to be sitting there doing it as well. Women, too. Gaming in Korea breaks both age and gender barriers – at least in terms of your everyday, 'Angry Birds' kind of gaming. Only this isn't Angry Birds – this is some hardcore StarCraft-like action. One teenager I snooped on in transit was sitting pretty at level 157… not necessarily a casual pursuit, then.To ensure you don't forget about gaming as you leave the subway, you'll see an advertisement for the latest Korean console-based RPG on the exit barrier, a reminder that gaming here isn't all smartphones and PCs. And if you get lost at one of the huge intersections outside, you can always take your bearings from one of the many 'PC Bangs' or – in English - LAN cafes around. (To the amusement of many foreigners, 'Bang' means 'Room' in Korean.) If you want to get a feel for the extent to which gaming has infiltrated everyday life in Korea, just head into one: inside PC Bangs you'll find swarms of young Koreans spending up to 12 hours a day gaming online, surrounded by all the necessities to keep them going: soft drinks, snacks and swearing neighbours.When I say 'if' you get lost, don't get me wrong: you will get really, really lost if you move to Seoul to start your professional gaming career. There are no addresses in Seoul – street names and numbers are a Western concept. Some major roads will be named, but that's about it. So before you think about using Google Maps, get used to finding out the name of the building you have to get to, and calling that building and asking for directions. Oh, and it's probably best to have your fluent Korean-speaking friend to do the job for you. That, at least, is how the Koreans do it, and how I eventually made my way to Mr Chae to get the low-down on e-Sports the phenomenon/career in Korea.Although competitive gaming has been around pretty much since the arcade era (anyone remember the movie The Wizard ?) contemporary e-Sports can safely lay claim to having been nurtured and turned into mainstream culture in South Korea. The evidence is plain for all to see: the recent and inaugural Blizzard Cup final (hotly contested by bitter rivals MMA and DongRaeGu) was attended by over 3,000 fans, with many others turned away despite the (literal) blizzard outside. The prize-money for this tournament, as it is for the GSL, was in excess of $40,000 USD. In terms of the GSL, this prize-pool is thanks by and large to its corporate sponsors: Sony Ericsson, Intel, Pepsi and LG to name a few. This isn't just private business, however, with the Korean government and even the Korean Olympic Committee getting on board. The Korean Olympic Committee lists KeSPA, the Korean e-Sports Association, as one of its official member organisations, while the government has invested in a dedicated e-Sports arena (capacity 2,000) to be built in a part of Seoul dubbed 'Digital Media City'. Here, media organisation headquarters will soon rub shoulders with the arena, its superstars and fans.That e-Sports is big business in Korea is clear, thanks in no small part to the many television channels which jostle for the rights to broadcast StarCraft games. Currently, GomTV hold the exclusive rights to StarCraft II broadcasts, but it hasn't always been their domain. StarCraft: Brood War , the game around which the popularity of e-Sports in South Korea was essentially founded, is still broadcast to adoring audiences on Korean channel Ongamenet.The popularity of Brood War on these channels hasn't been without its tribulations, however. KeSPA, which represents Korean e-Sports gamers, found itself in breach of copyright with Blizzard over Brood War, which led to Blizzard selecting GomTV as its partner for StarCraft II broadcasts. Disappointed, KeSPA initially banned any of its contracted players from participating in StarCraft II competitions. According to Mr Chae, though, times are changing, with a broader desire to keep Korea at the top of e-Sports internationally meaning KeSPA has relaxed its rules somewhat.The one thing that really comes across when you talk to Koreans about gaming is the way that they approach e-Sports and StarCraft with a team mindset. GSL teams, for example, live together with their coaches, maximizing the time possible to train and bond with teammates. Mr Chae told me that players cherish the time they have to practice together (usually 8-10 hours a day), because StarCraft isn't really a game you can practice alone – given the infinite number of factors involved when competing against a live opponent. Players are well aware of how much they owe to their teammates, which is why any player who wins an individual award or competition will routinely share their winnings equally with their teammates. And once a player reaches their 'peak' age – the oldest current players are BoxeR (32) and NesTea (31) – they commonly become coaches, imparting their wisdom to the younger brigade.Coaching and commentating are the most common careers pursued once a pro-gamer's lifespan is up. Although 32 might seem like an early retirement age, it is important to remember that these kids start early. The youngest pro-gamer to start in GSL was 14, while many pro-gamers get a start on their career in high school. You probably already guessed it, but there are dedicated e-Sports schools in Korea, like the popular DigiTech High School. Back when e-Sports first started taking off, you would only encounter gaming subjects at university, but as the culture begins to take pro-gaming more and more seriously, gamers are targeted and recruited younger than ever.Like many 'new' professions, pro-gaming is still being worked out. Infrastructure is being expanded to support young-retirees who have no other educational or professional background, while the pitfalls of such a unique career are just becoming clear. Players require incredible stamina to sit in front of a computer for such long periods of time, and many of the top players have sustained wrist injuries because of the excessive handwork involved. Teams aren't quite at the point where they have dedicated doctors, but presumably it's only a matter of time.The Korean government, in conjunction with GomTV and partners, is also doing all it can to attract foreigners to the gaming hub that is Seoul/South Korea. Excited by the increasing popularity of K-pop (Korean pop) singers outside of Korea, the government has also begun to take notice of the many foreigners who visit Korea just to see GSL matches. Given the GSL is a 'global' league after all, GomTV bought a residence in Seoul to house any foreign players who arrive from overseas to compete in the GSL. Initially, these players formed their own team - known as F.United – and were sponsored by GomTV, which does its best to invite foreign players to local tournaments whenever possible.So if you aren't sold on a pro-gaming career in Korea yet, you might be convinced by just how big the players are there. Mr Chae told me that pro-gamers are considered celebrities; they feature often in the news or on television, give autographs and are stopped in the street by fans who follow their every move. And ladies: it's not just for boys either. When pro-gamer Eve was recruited by highly successful GSL team 'Slayers' it was not without controversy, and the usual (sexist) cry of 'it's just because she's pretty'. But Slayers defended Eve's recruitment, saying they saw 'potential' in her, and she has paved the way for more women in the GSL. Attitudes towards women gamers – like pro-gaming as a profession – are quickly changing in Korea.So how does South Korea's story fit into the ever-increasing popularity of e-Sports in the West? Well, obviously it's a valuable point of reference. Even though what works for the West will inevitably be different, there's still an enormous amount to learn from South Korea, and the end goal is surely the same: to see e-Sports (and gaming in general) fully integrated as an integral part of modern popular culture.

Kate O'Halloran is a freelance writer based in Sydney, Australia. Like the AU team's work? Why not