South Korea will officially compete at the 2026 Esports Nations Cup (ENC) after the dispute between the Korea e-Sports Association (KeSPA) and the Esports Foundation (EF, former Esports World Cup Foundation) was resolved.
In a joint statement, both sides confirmed they will continue their partnership for ENC 26. The agreement also confirms that KeSPA will remain responsible for selecting and managing South Korea’s national esports team for the event, allowing the country to compete under the official name “Republic of Korea Esports National Team (Team Korea of Esports).”
“in recognition of KeSPA’s established expertise and authority in Korea, the two parties have agreed that KeSPA will serve as National Team Partner and lead Korea’s national team selection,” the statement said.
The issue started in April when, according to Korean media reports, KeSPA accused the ENC organisers of interfering in the Korean roster selection process and allegedly withdrew its participation at the ENC. The Esports Foundation, though, released communications saying the collaboration would not continue due to 2026 being a “demanding year for KeSPA given the Asian Games participation.”
As a result, the collaboration was effectively over and the Esports Foundation announced plans to contact Korean stakeholders to create a delegation without KeSPA’s involvement. This created a different issue with the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC), as only teams selected through official national channels could use the South Korean flag and the “Team Korea” name in international competition.
The new agreement ends the dispute and confirms that KeSPA will continue to oversee the official Korean national esports team for ENC 26. In the joint statement, both sides said they share the goal of supporting the long-term growth of esports through international competition.
Read the full statement below:
“KeSPA and the Esports Foundation have agreed to a continued partnership and a joint path forward for the Esports Nations Cup 2026, built on a shared vision to support the long-term growth of esports through structured international competition.
With alignment on values, operational standards, and national team structure, and in recognition of KeSPA’s established expertise and authority in Korea, the two parties have agreed that KeSPA will serve as National Team Partner and lead Korea’s national team selection.
Korea’s national coaches and players will continue to be selected with professional integrity, in accordance with the partners’ regulations and competition standards. Ultimately, the players and coaches representing Korea will participate under the official “Team Korea of Esports” banner
KeSPA’s experience, leadership and contribution to the development of international esports have been instrumental to the worldwide recognition of the esports movement. The shared priority of the Esports Foundation and KeSPA partnership ensures that South Korea’s most talented players have the opportunity to showcase their skills and excellence on the global stage.
The Esports Nations Cup is a new global competition developed in partnership with international stakeholders, game publishers, and ecosystem leaders across more than 100 countries and territories, and we look forward to an impactful participation of Team Korea of Esports at ENC26.”
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