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3861 Posts
Edit: March 18, 2014
http://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/20m5c0/kespa_has_released_the_ahq_incidents/
Kespa has officially filed a lawsuit and release information about what happened.
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First, I apologize for this ridiculously long blog.
On the morning of March 13th, I woke up to some horrific news about former League of Legends gamer, AHQ Promise.
For full story: http://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/209ogj/league_scandal_must_read_source_by_former_pro_adc/
Now before you guys bring out the pitchforks because he's a LoL player and not related to the SC scene, I want to discuss my thoughts on three topics: match fixing scandals, suicide and the esports community.
First, a little background information on Promise. He comes from a poor family; his father left him when he was 15 and his mother, although legally listed as his guardian, basically left him too. He lives with his sister in Busan while mom lives in Seoul. He is only 22 years old.
Match Fixing Scandals
During my time in the BroodWar scene, I've seen some terrible scandals come and go, and I understand that match fixing isn't something new. But for some reason, this particular incident made me more sad than angry. This poor kid, with hopes and dreams of becoming someone big by joining a sponsored team (or so he thought), gets put into situations where he is forced to act dishonestly. My speculation is that he probably felt compelled to follow orders and abide by the rules because he most likely did not want to jeopardize his position on the team.
Perhaps it is because of my teacher background I feel so strongly about this. Students in Korea are taught to be obedient towards people in power, even if they feel that something is wrong. I am saddened at the fact that this scandal must have been eating away at Promise all this time because the environment and society we live in is inconducive for open speech.
Being a person of authority, especially for young people, is a huge responsibility. So to me, the actions of this disgusting man, Noh, are deplorable; he took advantage of his status and position and ended up hurting innocent people. He posed as a manager, took this kid's trust and integrity for his own selfish, monetary gains.
I was told that Promise and his teammates, at times, didn't listen to Noh and WON games, causing his manager to lose money. I can't even imagine the rebuking they must have gotten for trying to do what they felt was right. He was involved in a scandal that didn't gain him anything at all. Talk about being caught in crossfire.
Suicide
Secondly, the prevalence of suicide in Korea and the lack of interest in those who “succeed”, also makes me sad. Last year, I had a student committed suicide during the first semester. The high school I taught at was highly competitive, and so while some of the students were sad about his death, I still had an overwhelming number of kids who confided in me, that they were secretly happy that there was one less person to worry about. (The Korean school system is based on a ranking method, so essentially, there is no such thing as cooperative work, it's more about being better than your peers.) Even some of the teachers expressed that they were sad about the “tragedy” but since so many kids commit suicide each year, they have grown numb to it.
I recently came across this article:
http://www.10mag.com/korea-news/2014/03/09/the-suicide-prevention-measures-that-increased-suicide-attempts-by-600
And though some of the numbers might be off, it just goes to show how commonplace suicide is in this country. It is not a crime in Korea to take your own life. People just see it as an easy way out. Of course, Promise must have other circumstances or issues other than just this scandal that prompted his decision, but as Korea is not a country that is very supportive in helping people in psychological need, I am sad that Promise felt that he had no other option than to jump.
Luckily, he fell through into the garbage disposal area of the building and he is still alive.
I don't condone his action; however, I do understand the desperation he must have been feeling. And at the end of the day, we have ourselves a 22 years old human being with a busted chin/skull, serious back bone complications, fractures and bruises, with a heavy heart.
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When Inven told me that they were going to create a Korean account for a fundraiser, I knew I wanted to help. This kid has two estranged parents and an older sister – and hospital fees are not cheap.
Here is my reddit post, translating the original Inven article from Korean to English:
http://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/20b8s9/fundraiser_for_ahq_promise/
The eSports Community
This bring me to my third point. The eSports community. I am absolutely FLOORED by the amount of support and contributions from Koreans and foreigners, alike.
http://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/20e0eb/update_fundraiser_for_ahq_promise_day_1_tally/
After just one day, the Korean/Foreign community has collected over $20,000 USD. Incredible.
As I had said before, it is because of the eSports community I do what I do; I am extremely lucky to have my job so that I could bring a bit of the Korean scene to the rest of the world. I hope that through this event, many Koreans will learn how deep our sense of community runs and that we are, in fact, united through our love of competitive games.
If you guys want to help out, here's the site:
http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/fundraiser-for-promise/149909
I have been talking directly with people at Inven and so if you have any questions, I will try to answer them for you. 100% of the proceeds will go straight to Promise (and not his mom or dad). KeSPA and Inven is working with him to make sure that the money will go to remaining hospital fees, rehabilitation fees and life expenses when he gets out of the emergency room.
Whether you are a die hard fan of BW, SC2, Dota2, Hearthsone, LoL, etc. – we are all together in this. We are all passionate nerds who love eSports and the people who make eSports fun to watch.
I want to thank you all for being a part of this incredible community. And I am honored to be a member of it too.
I love you guys. <3
 
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i heard about this damn. Korean schools are really nasty. Sad for promise.
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what happened to the crook posing as a manager ?
edit : what about another fundraiser to buy services of a hitman
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On March 14 2014 18:59 Boonbag wrote:
what happened to the crook posing as a manager ?
edit : what about another fundraiser to buy services of a hitman
The police is after him afaik.
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1001 YEARS KESPAJAIL22272 Posts
I hope they catch that piece of shit
Is this the best place to donate? I'd like to help
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He's been in my thoughts ever since I heard about it. Hope he'll recover. Retribution be demanded!
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3861 Posts
On March 14 2014 20:00 lichter wrote:
I hope they catch that piece of shit
Is this the best place to donate? I'd like to help
You can donate by that link or via Korean bank account. I've verified everything (in fact, I created that site for Inven) so at least I know that THAT part is legit.
The guy is still in hiding from what we know. The search is still on.
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1001 YEARS KESPAJAIL22272 Posts
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Didn't hear about this.  I'll try to remember to donate when I get home.
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Jeez this is horrible. What a bastard coach.
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Seeker
Where dat snitch at?37121 Posts
This situation is so heartbreaking. I hope justice prevails against that disgusting coach, and that Promise will make it through this somehow.
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United States7483 Posts
I hope Promise makes it out of this okay, and it's great to see all the support for him.
I hope that fake manager gets caught and punished severely.
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It's crazy that you even consider this blog really long, especially considering the subject matter.
I think it's pretty great that people figured out his story and decided to donate money. I'm not sure if he committed suicide out of financial pressure or shame, probably both, but hopefully the community support will help him in both aspects.
The current school system just seems like a problem though, it's not nonstandard but with so much pressure just to be ahead of your peers it just seems silly. If everyone just studied half as much the rankings wouldn't change but everyone is trying to get an edge.
I guess parental pressure might be a problem too, even if you aren't studying efficiently because of overworking if your parents see you spending all day and all night studying they will be more likely to accept that you did your best.
I guess it's a culture problem as well. Maybe they should adopt a more USA approach where you need extra curriculars and college essays and such. Overstudying for highschool isn't going to make you smarter, it just tests your memory at that point.
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i just read up on his condition, guy is fucked up pretty badly =[
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I think permanent damage? Hopefully his story will serve as an example at least. I imagine most people taking part in organized illegal gambling have no idea this sort of thing is going on.
He jumped from a building, fell through like looked like an aluminium roof, into a recycle box, so he survived but with serious neck and back damage. He had to have surgery I think. I guess that's what the donations are needed for.
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On March 15 2014 02:15 Slayer91 wrote:I think it's pretty great that people figured out his story and decided to donate money. I'm not sure if he committed suicide out of financial pressure or shame, probably both, but hopefully the community support will help him in both aspects.
IIRC he had psychological problems that existed prior to this occurring, this situation just more or less was the straw that broke the camels back.
On March 15 2014 02:23 Slayer91 wrote:He jumped from a building, fell through like looked like an aluminium roof, into a recycle box, so he survived but with serious neck and back damage. He had to have surgery I think. I guess that's what the donations are needed for.
It's also because he probably will not be able to care for himself ever again and will need people to make him food, bathe him, clothe him etc....
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On March 14 2014 17:42 lilsusie wrote:
...
Last year, I had a student committed suicide during the first semester. The high school I taught at was highly competitive, and so while some of the students were sad about his death, I still had an overwhelming number of kids who confided in me, that they were secretly happy that there was one less person to worry about. (The Korean school system is based on a ranking method, so essentially, there is no such thing as cooperative work, it's more about being better than your peers.) Even some of the teachers expressed that they were sad about the “tragedy” but since so many kids commit suicide each year, they have grown numb to it.
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Jesus that is brutal. I agree with you that when it's someone young and they're powerless under authority, we should give them the benefit of the doubt. Even the whole Savior fiasco... sure he deserved punishment, but I was surprised at the depth of the hatred people heaped on him. From what I understand, being progamer is pretty brutal and unglamorous behind the scenes.
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On March 15 2014 02:15 Slayer91 wrote:
It's crazy that you even consider this blog really long, especially considering the subject matter.
I think it's pretty great that people figured out his story and decided to donate money. I'm not sure if he committed suicide out of financial pressure or shame, probably both, but hopefully the community support will help him in both aspects.
The current school system just seems like a problem though, it's not nonstandard but with so much pressure just to be ahead of your peers it just seems silly. If everyone just studied half as much the rankings wouldn't change but everyone is trying to get an edge.
I guess parental pressure might be a problem too, even if you aren't studying efficiently because of overworking if your parents see you spending all day and all night studying they will be more likely to accept that you did your best.
I guess it's a culture problem as well. Maybe they should adopt a more USA approach where you need extra curriculars and college essays and such. Overstudying for highschool isn't going to make you smarter, it just tests your memory at that point.
Plenty of extra curriculars, in fact I don't even know why they call it extra because it's pretty much expected/mandatory that you take classes on the weekends/after classes on weekdays since everyone else does it anyways. Says a lot about the amount of stress/pressure put on students that suicides are common enough to not even faze people. It's also pretty disheartening to know that some students feel relief that they have one less person to compete against.
Best of luck to Promise, hopefully he pulls through to a better place both mentally and physically.
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I don't think weekend/after school classes count because they are studying for exams on the curriculum, right?
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Ah I see you meant extra curricular as in stuff like sports teams or clubs right? I misinterpreted that lol.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://z4.enha.kr/http://img.dailygame.co.kr/news/201303/attachments/20130301_2c13c8e75bba4853616caac464099dab.jpg)
