The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) has launched a dedicated working group focused on the Olympic Esports Games (OEGs), as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) continues to push forward with its plans for a new esports-focused Olympic event.
The working group will bring together representatives from government ministries, sports organizations, academia, and the esports and games industry, according to the announcement. The move marks the start of what KSOC describes as full-scale preparations to respond to the IOC’s Olympic Esports Games initiative.
The IOC formally announced the creation of the Olympic Esports Games in July 2024 as part of its wider strategy to accelerate the Olympics’ digital transformation and attract younger audiences. Since then, questions around game titles, governance structures, and potential host locations have remained unresolved.
The announcement came amid increased activity around Olympic-aligned esports in Asia. Earlier this month, the Olympic Council of Asia signed a 10-year strategic partnership with Tencent Esports, underlining the region’s growing role in shaping esports governance at a multi-sport level. The IOC has also faced scrutiny over its approach to partnerships in the space, having previously withdrawn from a proposed esports collaboration in Saudi Arabia.
KSOC Outlines Scope of Working Group
KSOC said the working group was established to address those uncertainties, particularly given the structural differences between esports and traditional Olympic sports. Issues such as game intellectual property rights, private league ecosystems, industrial policy, military service obligations, and athlete status were cited as areas that cannot be handled by sports bodies alone.
The working group includes KSOC itself, South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, sport governing bodies, academic experts, and stakeholders from the esports industry. According to the release, its remit includes analyzing the IOC’s esports-related policies, reviewing national team selection and management systems, and exploring cooperation models between government, sport and industry.
KSOC added that the group’s membership could be expanded depending on external developments, including the IOC’s final confirmation of the Olympic Esports Games’ title lineup.
Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, said the initiative aimed to strengthen links between traditional sport and esports:
“Through the operation of this working group, we will strengthen links between traditional sports and esports, and seek ways for Korea’s esports and game industry to develop in harmony with the international sports arena.”
Ryu also said the committee expected the project to contribute to new forms of international sports cooperation that resonate with younger generations.