Gov't to host esports event for students with disabilities

The government will host an esports event for students with disabilities at The-K Hotel Seoul at Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 3 and 4.

Poster for ″ ″ [KOREA CREATIVE CONTENT AGENCY]

The government will host an esports event for students with disabilities at The-K Hotel Seoul at Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 3 and 4.

The event will be jointly hosted by the National Institute of Special Education (NISE) and the Korea Creative Content Agency (Kocca) in cooperation with the Netmarble Cultural Foundation. The foundation is managed by one of Korea’s biggest gaming enterprises, Netmarble.

This year's event will host approximately 1,600 attendees of students, guardians and teachers.

The event will host a total of 10 esports game competitions, with a select number of disabled students who were selected via preliminary rounds that were held from May to July. The games that will be available include “Modoo Marble,” “Clash Royale,” “Hearthstone,” “Othello” and “Fall Guys."

There will also be a computer skill proficiency competition where participants will face off in different events on topics like coding, office tools, search engines and typing in Braille.

The event will also host an educational booth where parents and other adults attending the event can learn game literacy, play board games and try out educational technology. The one-and-only hearing-impaired K-pop trio Big Ocean will be performing at the event on Sept. 3 as well.

"This event was organized to overcome limitations and prejudices through esports, fostering communication among everyone and promoting the expansion of healthy and creative leisure activities centered around gaming," Yoo Hyun-seok, deputy director of Kocca, said Monday.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]