USA Esports has announced a new partnership with South Korea’s official esports governing body KeSPA (Korea e-Sports Association).
The partnership was facilitated by SXNGA and announced in Seoul, where USA Esports President and CEO Jesse Bodony signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with KeSPA President Alex Youngman Kim at KeSPA headquarters.
As part of the agreement, the two organisations have decided to work together in several areas, including national team selection systems, delegation exchanges, youth and scholastic esports programs, coaching and officials training, competition operations, and overall knowledge sharing between the organisations. For example, one organisation may send its coaches to train players in another country, while the other may share its experience in running large esports competitions.
USA Esports President & CEO Jesse Bodony said, “KeSPA has decades of experience building infrastructure and operating as a national governing body, and we’re eager to learn from that model. At the same time, the United States has developed one of the most robust scholastic esports ecosystems in the world, and we’re excited to share those practices with our Korean counterparts. This is about both sides growing together.”
Alex Youngman Kim, the president of KeSPA, said, “We are delighted to establish a strategic partnership with USA Esports. I am confident that this collaboration will serve as a prime example of a complementary partnership within the esports industry. For KeSPA in particular, this alliance is deeply meaningful as it provides additional momentum for the expansion of scholastic esports—a key initiative included in the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s long-term development plan and a project KeSPA is pursuing with full dedication. We look forward to your interest and support as our two representative organizations unveil various collaborative models together.”
Finally, USA Esports has mentioned that this partnership will create new opportunities for American esports athletes that did not exist before at an official level. Players, coaches, and referees will get chances to train across countries, learn from international competition standards, and connect directly with one of the world’s most established esports communities.
The collaboration approaches two very different organisations: KeSPA has been around for two decades as South Korea’s government-backed esports governing body, with major influence across the industry. USA Esports, meanwhile, is just getting started, officially launching only two months ago as a non-profit national body aiming to become a National Governing Body (NGB).
Still, both organisations play a key role in selecting national esports teams for international events like the Esports Nations Cup, where they’ve been named official national team partners.
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