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Original article written by Lee Sang-beom in N News (Korea), March 25, 2025:
George Mason University Korea, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Korea, the U.S. Embassy in Japan, and Coupang, will host the 2025 Korea-U.S.-Japan eSports Tournament, a global initiative to foster strategic thinking, teamwork, and digital engagement among young gamers from Korea, the U.S., and Japan.
This tournament is an innovative global program where participants will learn teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution through gaming as an eSport, and is an educational platform that develops essential cognitive and collaborative skills in a competitive environment while strengthening trilateral relations among Korea, the United States, and Japan. The eSports Tournament is open to young Korean, American, and Japanese citizens aged 20-39, and requires English communication skills.
Participants will participate in online training and weekly activities from April to May, and will participate in the eSports tournament in Incheon in June.
Through this tournament, George Mason University Korea will provide a special opportunity for young gamers to communicate with peers from diverse cultural backgrounds and improve their problem-solving skills, adaptability, and leadership capabilities. Professor Sang Nam, Professor of Computer Game Design at George Mason University, Co-Director of Virginia Functional Game Research Institute, and Director of Korea Functional Game Research Institute, said:
"This '2025 Korea-US-Japan eSports Tournament' is an innovative platform designed to promote digital literacy, cross-cultural collaboration, and leadership development beyond games as entertainment and competition." He added, "We are pleased to demonstrate the role of eSports as a bridge to strengthen trilateral cooperation among Korea, the United States, and Japan."
“The trilateral partnership among the United States, Japan, and Korea is a vital component of our shared effort to ensure safety, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Joshua Lustig, Public Diplomacy Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. “We anticipate that the 2025 Korea-U.S.-Japan eSports Tournament will bring our three countries closer together by further strengthening the network of youth champions among them.”
The program is fully sponsored by Coupang through a public-private partnership with the U.S. Department of State, and the event is co-hosted with Company E, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit.
The application deadline for the event is March 28, and eSports training and in-person eSports tournament matches will take place starting April 5.