Korean Authorities Investigate Match-Fixing Claims in Premier Tournament
Korean authorities are investigating allegations of match-fixing made by a player in the region’s top tournament last year. Cheon “Promise” Min Ki, who jumped out of a 12-story window but miraculously survived, claimed that his team, Ahq, had intentionally lost games after their manager threatened them with disqualification if they won.
The Korean eSports Association (KeSPA), which oversees esports in South Korea, immediately took action and promised to get to the bottom of the incident, even considering involving the police. They have now released their initial findings, confirming that most of what Ki said was true and supported by evidence. This has sparked discussions among fans on Reddit, who have translated the report.
According to the report, the team manager, No Dae Chul, repeatedly pressured the team with false information. He had claimed that OnGameNet required teams to pay a fee, which Ahq refused to pay, resulting in instructions to lose games against bigger company teams. However, there was no such fee, and OnGameNet did not instruct them to lose intentionally.
The report also clarifies that only Ki and Chul were involved in the match-fixing. One of Ki’s teammates, Yeon “ActScene” Hyeong Mo, was approached by Chul but did not go through with it. Analysis of the matches showed that Mo played his best, confirming his innocence.
While there has been no discussion about potential punishment for Ki, KeSPA has initiated legal proceedings against Chul. The evidence from the investigation will be used in the case. KeSPA has also stated that they will be investigating other teams to ensure that players are not being coerced like Ki and Mo.
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