“More than two million people watch the summer finals, and it is exciting to see the numbers increase like that. However, the fact that there is an official esports tournament in the ROK Army speaks volumes about how large the market for esports has become. Having seen the esports industry’s development from up close, Jeon commented that the market for esports has increased immensely, but this has also resulted in gaming addiction becoming a mental health disorder according to the World Health Organization. Even if his voice starts to break during the game, Jeon noted that it surprisingly seems to improve quickly on its own, unlike when his voice turns bad in a noraebang (Korean-style karaoke), where it takes him a longer time to recover (Jeon jokingly added that he tries to avoid going to noraebang as much as possible). To take care of his throat, he said that he used to eat things that are famously known to be good for the throat, but now sticks to warming up sufficiently before a game because that seems to work best for him. I think the bottle-throwing was appealing to audiences abroad.”Ĭaster Jun is famous for his “shouting” casting style. It was surprisingly well received, and the producer joked that I might be getting job offers from abroad. “At the opening of the 2014 LoL World Championship, I threw an empty water bottle.
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When asked about most memorable games, Jeon immediately noted two the 2002 Starleague between Lim Yo-hwan and Park Jung-suk, the second final that Jeon had cast, and the 2014 LoL World Championship. “The more I am prepared, the more fun and exciting the game gets,” Jeon added. “My job comes with a lot of responsibilities.”Īs with any occupation, game casters are likely to have their own know-how and expertise, and I wanted to know about Jeon’s.“Game casters have a deeper knowledge of the game than the average person, and in order for me to perform well, it all comes down to preparation and concentration.” He has been trying even harder than usual these days to be more passionate about his job because he wants to “keep up” with younger esports players and fans. “If I slip up, the feedback can be harsh.” On the same note, when he does well, he gets great reception and feedback, which Jeon says make his effort worthwhile. With the largest esports market, LoL has the biggest number of players, fans, and spectators worldwide. Jeon has been casting esports like Star League, Kartrider League, and Metalrage for over 15 years, and he said that LoL is the most difficult game to broadcast because of its sheer size. The usually sold-out event was quiet that day because, due to the COVID-19 scare, LCK will be held without an audience. I interviewed Jeon Yong-jun at the LoL Arena in Seoul’s Jongno-gu district.
![korean lol casters korean lol casters](https://a.espncdn.com/photo/2019/0204/r497717_1296x729_16-9.jpg)
He has served as an esports caster for one of the most popular esports games, League of Legends (LoL) since it began being serviced in Korea in 2011 (LoL Championship Korea (LCK) is a huge event held in sold-out arenas, and this year’s LoL Championship Korea kicked off on February 5). Most of Jeon’s nicknames are from his signature tendency to shout his commentary during a game’s opening ceremony and throughout the game itself. There is another name that almost everybody who knows esports is familiar with: Game Caster Jeon Yong-jun (aka Caster Jun or “Korean Hype Man”). Korea has produced some of the best esports players, like Faker, Flash, and Lim Yo-hwan to name just a few. Esports has become extremely popular and competitive worldwide in the last couple of decades.