Kim Sang-jin, candidate for President of the Asian Taekwondo Union (ATU), pledges to promote the “Taekwondo e-Sports Industry Revitalization Project”

In the past decade, major global IT and gaming companies in Korea and China have made massive investments in e-sports, which people of all ages around the world can enjoy regardless of time and place.

Middle Eastern countries have also been using their “oil money” to pour massive funding into global sports such as football, golf, and Formula One (F1). Now, they are making bold investments in e-sports as well.

According to a July 20 report by KBS via its local correspondent, an e-sports tournament is being held in Saudi Arabia, one of the wealthiest and most powerful countries in the Middle East, with a total prize pool amounting to approximately 100 billion Korean won.

Saudi Arabia is reportedly injecting vast funds to establish itself as a hub for the gaming industry, with the aim of creating jobs and increasing tourism revenue.

Some observers suggest that building an “e-sports mecca” also serves a strategic purpose of softening negative images related to human rights issues and religious or cultural perceptions associated with Islam.

Globally, e-sports has become a dominant trend. It is gaining attention across all ages and genders, with passionate support from fans and enthusiasts alike, and its influence is permeating daily life.

In this context, FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) has been hosting e-sports competitions such as the FIFA eWorld Cup and FIFA eContinental Cup, alongside traditional age- and gender-based World Cup tournaments.

Taekwondo, too, has become a globally beloved sport, with medalists emerging from various countries and a well-established base worldwide.

In an interview on the 20th, Kim Sang-jin, a candidate running for President of the Asian Taekwondo Union (ATU), stated, “E-sports has become a globally celebrated sport. With 11 e-sports disciplines confirmed for the upcoming 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, and considering that Korea, China, and Japan are all gaming powerhouses, if I am elected President of the ATU, I will do my utmost to nurture e-Taekwondo at the federation level.”

He added, “By linking Middle Eastern oil wealth with Korea’s global IT gaming industry, we will launch the ‘e-Taekwondo Development Vision Project,’ encompassing youth, seniors, and people with disabilities. This project will stimulate the Taekwondo-related industry, create jobs, and help make Taekwondo a key driver of future growth in the K-culture powerhouse vision.”

As the birthplace of Taekwondo, Korea should lead investment in e-Taekwondo, aiming not only to boost tourism and product sales, but also to create added value as a cultural powerhouse. This makes the Vision Project a persuasive national-level initiative.

Notably, the region under the jurisdiction of the Asian Taekwondo Union accounts for 60% of the world’s population and 40% of global GDP. Given the prominence of Taekwondo as Korea’s national martial art, there is a growing consensus that the development of Taekwondo e-sports should be positioned as a national agenda.

If actively pursued under the leadership of the ATU, the initiative is likely to gain strong momentum.

Coincidentally, all the candidates running in the upcoming ATU presidential election are major figures in the Korean Taekwondo community, raising expectations that, regardless of the outcome, e-Taekwondo development will be strongly promoted at the Asian Taekwondo Union level.

editor in chief Jay Yoo_ seeyou@nvp.co.kr / kedsports@gmail.com