Gaming was once compared to drugs, gambling and alcohol in South Korea. Now its gaming academies offer a chance to earn a six-figure salary – if you make the grade
Son Si-woo remembers the moment his mother turned off his computer. He was midway through an interview to become a professional gamer.
“She said when I played computer games, my personality got worse, that I was addicted to games,” the 27-year-old recalls.
Then Son won an amateur tournament. The prize money was 2m won (£1,000). He handed all of it to his parents. “From then on, they believed in me,” he says.
Almost a decade later, Son, known professionally as Lehends, is a multiple champion in League of Legends, a competitive strategy game. He plays for Nongshim RedForce, a professional team backed by one of South Korea’s largest food companies.
