This is the translated version of my interview with @kenzi131 on Daily Esports. Thanks to @bnununu for translating :)



Original: http://esports.dailygame.co.kr/view.php?ud=2015020316332529401



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WME-IMG’s Susie Kim, "It's Time for eSports to Become Globalized"



2015-02-03



One of the biggest management firms in the world WME-IMG has recently announced that they will be taking over the eSports management company GEM(Global Esports Management).

WME-IMG was originally founded by the takeover of the sports management company IMG by the famous U.S. agency William Morris Endeavor(WME) in 2013.

WME-IMG’s newest addition GEM is an eSports management firm, founded by various industry professionals such as the former Major League Gaming caster ‘Tumba’ Tobias Sherman and Ko Min-sik, known as the manager of StarCraft player ‘MC’ Jang Min-chul.

Tobias Sherman and Ko Min-sik has been put in charge of North America and Europe while many awaited the announcement of the highly important Asia region representative. Journalist Susie Kim, known as the interpreter for various foreign tournaments such as Intel Extreme Masters (IEM), has been announced to fill the vacancy.

We joined Susie Kim in Taiwan where she was working as the interpreter for IEM Taipei to hear more about her addition to WME-IMG.



Q. You have been put in charge of the Asian region for WME-IMG, how did you come to accept the offer?

A. After WME-IMG took over GEM, they wanted someone who could represent the Asian region. There were a lot of candidates but I think I got the job due to my understanding of eSports and fluency in English.



Q. Can you explain what you will be doing as the new Asian region representative?

A. I will be in charge of introducing Korean eSports to the rest of the world. The reason why WME-IMG came into eSports is because they were certain that the eSports market will continue to expand in the future. My goal is to introduce Korean teams, players, and professionals to foreign sponsors, and protect the careers and well-being of players who take their talents overseas.



Q. Unlike other sports, eSports is a field where there is very little recognition for the role of agents

A. There are many fields in Korea where professional players utilize the services of an agent. Agents are a necessary component for eSports to raise its standards. Because most of the players are very young, there is close to no one who can provide the players with the support that they need. If players had an agent, they would be able to have open discussions and experience better negotiations and work experiences.



Q. Is there anything you are working on right now?

A. I am looking for ways to connect Korean teams with foreign sponsors. Personally, I am also thinking of different ways to bring League of Legends teams closer to their foreign fans, such as working with Korean fan clubs and making a branch for the West.



Q. In your opinion, how much time is needed for Korean eSports to establish an agency system?

A. Korea has a unique business style so it will take a considerable amount of time for agents to be fully established in the industry. Still, if eSports is to truly move forward, we need to globalize instead of staying in one place. The door is always open, and I am willing to invest everything for the further development of Korean eSports.



[Dailyesports reporter Kim Yong-woo kenzi@dailyespors.com]



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