Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young visited Inspire Arena in Incheon on the 26th to attend the '2026 T1 Home Ground' event. The visit was arranged to inspect the state of the domestic esports industry and to offer encouragement to the players and fans.

Upon arrival, Minister Choi toured the venue to assess the scale of the event and the status of facility operations. He then met with the T1 roster, including Lee 'Faker' Sang-hyeok, to exchange greetings and share words of encouragement. During the meeting, Lee presented the Minister with a team jersey featuring the organization's emblem.

Minister Choi visited various event booths set up inside the arena, carefully observing the content available for fans to experience. He also joined in the festive atmosphere, notably taking a commemorative photo with 'Amal,' the T1 mascot, alongside the attendees.

Discussions on the development of esports also took place on-site. Minister Choi held a tea meeting with Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers Mo Kyung-jong and Kim Han-kyu, as well as other esports industry stakeholders, to exchange views on policy support measures to revitalize the industry.

Minister Choi conducted a final inspection of the arena and spectator seating, emphasizing the importance of safety and the smooth operation of the event. In his conversation with officials, he stated, "We will actively incorporate feedback from the field to ensure that esports evolves beyond simple gaming into a cultural content that bridges generations."