Experience in Watching PL Live

There were a couple of blogs that were already written on how to find the e-Sports Stadium, these are all linked to in my previous blog, so I will just provide some tips and updates…
FROM: Incheon Int’l Airport
TO: 9th floor section G of I’Park Mall, Yongsan Station
METHOD OF TRAVEL: subway a.k.a. AREX/KORAIL

KORAIL MAP


I’Park Mall Guide (a bit blurry, the circled area in red is the e-Sports Stadium)


a.) From Incheon Int’l Airport, look and head for the direction to the airport railroad express (AREX). There are a lot of signs in English and the personnel we talked to in the airport understands and speaks good English so there would be no problem looking for this.

b.) There were two lines - the express and the commuter line, we didn’t take the Express because we were not sure where this is headed so we took the commuter line. Once you find the commuter line, purchase a subway ticket to Seoul Station. This will lead you directly to Seoul Station, which is also the last stop. The trip would be around 50 minutes so you can still take a nap while in the train. Cost of ticket is 3,950 won (including 500 deposit). There’s a deposit machine in the subway stations and you can have your 500 won back when you reach your destination. Looking at the this site, both lines will lead you to Seoul Station.

Sign: Incheon Int’l Airport-Seoul Station


c.) From Seoul Station, you have to transfer to a different line (Line 1) to be able to go to Yongsan Station. Just follow the signs and you can also ask the Information Desk along the way to give you directions on how to go the line where you can travel to Yongsan station. Seoul Station is huge, from the point where you get off, you have to take several and long escalators to be able to find Line 1.

Transfer to Line 1


Escalator from Get-off Point in Seoul Station


Another Escalator to go to Yongsan Platform, follow Line 1 sign


Again, just follow the sign


d.) Purchase another subway ticket in Seoul Station and choose Yongsan as your destination. Cost of the ticket is 1,150 (including 500 deposit).

Seoul Station, just keep walking, you’re almost there to Line 1


e.) Yongsan Station is two stations away from Seoul. First stop is Namyeong and next stop is Yongsan, travel time from Seoul is pretty fast, may be less than 10 minutes.

Platform to Yongsan Station is to my right


Yongsan… finally


f.) I’Park Mall is connected to Yongsan Station. So once you get off, look for signs on how to get to I’Park Mall. Note that the floor where I’Park Mall is connected to Yongsan Station is 3rd floor and you have to go to 9th floor of the mall.

Connection of Yongsan Station to I’Park Mall


Go Straight to I’Park Mall (I think this is the entrance to Section A)


g.) I’Park Mall is so huge and quite confusing as the mall is divided into several sections. I think it’s from A-H. So once you enter the mall premises, make sure you look for a Mall Guide/Mall Directory as this would come in handy if you want to ask someone where the e-Sports Stadium is. Most of the personnel we talked to in the mall don’t speak English so we were just pointing to them the e-Sports Stadium thru the mall guide/directory. Note: If you’re going to ask someone in the mall, make sure you ask for e-Sports Stadium and not OGN studio (we kept on asking them where OGN studio is only to find out that it’s called e-Sports Stadium in the mall guide/directory; they can’t understand what OGN studio is).

h.) The e-Sports Stadium is located in section G of the mall, and this is at 9th floor. You cannot just take any escalator to the 9th floor. It seems that 9th floor was only for section G, the e-Sports Stadium and office of HDC (Human, Development, etc. I really didn’t get the meaning of HDC). If I remember it correctly, both the 7th and 9th floors don’t have the full A-H sections of the mall. And the 7th floor doesn’t look like the usual mall/department store because this is a convention area/function room.

7th Floor, IConvention Wedding


i.) So from 3rd floor (which is connected to Yongsan Station), if you enter section A of the mall, you can take the escalator up to 7th floor. When you’re at the 7th floor, the first thing that you would notice was the wash room and an outdoor area where Futsal Stadium is located (I think this is for football). You can go out to that outdoor space and turn left to lead you to I-Convention Wedding. Look for Section G but I think Section H is easier to notice, so just take the escalator to go to the 8th floor. From the 8th floor, go across to section G. Take an elevator to the 9th floor.

j.) You would notice the sign in the escalator called e-Sport Stadium. Once you get off, to your right would be e-Sports Stadium and to your left is the HDC office.

Escalator with sign to e-Sports Stadium


E-Sports Stadium Door (there's a washroom sign too)


Door Entrance Where History is Made



k.) There are various ways to get to the 8th floor, you can also take elevators. I noticed that there’s one elevator that goes only to the 6th floor and another one that goes to the 7th floor (or may be I’m wrong) but I didn’t see any elevator that goes directly to the 8th floor. Anyway, what I’m saying is there are various ways to get here but just make sure that you go to the highest floor and look for section G. Once you’re there, you’re gonna be fine.

Escalator in section G of 6th Floor


One of the many elevators, this goes to up to 6th floor only

a.) We didn’t know that we have to queue up to obtain tickets. Thanks to supernovamaniac who happened to be there and recognized us because we were wearing TL esports shirts… Once you’re at the 9th floor, before entering the stadium, there’s a TV that shows you the seating arrangement. This is like purchasing sure seats for movie theaters.

b.) Ask the girl to give you tickets, yellow seats are already occupied and white are vacant seats. I think some of the fans get reservations already. We noticed that a lot of reservations were made by SKT and KT fans, I don’t know how they were able to get reservations. We were first in line in SKT and KT games but we weren’t able to get the seats just beside the players during their matches. If there are two matches during the day, you have to get another ticket for the next match.

TV Screen with the Available Seats (there’s no more space for KT fans)


c.) The malls opens at 10:30am, so for 12nn PL games, if you go straight to the stadium after the mall opens, tickets are already available. For the 2nd match of the day, tickets are usually available at 2pm. We arrived late during Khan vs STX match but when we watched KT vs Ace (3pm match), tickets were available at 1:30pm - not sure if this changes.

d.) For me, I don’t like sitting at either A6/A7 of home and A1/A2 of away because the spot light is hitting me and it’s a bit hot and it hurt my eyes. Sitting at A1, B1… G1 home or A7, B7… G7 away is so cool because you’re so close to the players but the only downside here is I got star struck whenever I look to my left or right and see the players really so close to me. Also, during SKT match, I was sitting at G5, at first I felt bad because the Korean fan girls already got the good seats but in the end I was thankful at my seat number as I was able to just stare at Bisu. If I was sitting at G7, I don’t think I would be able to do that because he or some other SKT players would definitely notice me, it’s embarrassing for sure hehe (Bisu is my crush)

e.) The rows of the seats change… I noticed that during SKT vs Team 8, the rows are A-H but during the other matches, the rows are only A-G, may be because SKT has more fans than the other teams ?

f.) You can eat and drink while watching the games. You can also take pictures and videos during the game. I don’t know if using flash on camera is allowed but I think it’s better to take off the flash so as not to distract anyone.

g.) The first thing that you would see once you enter the e-Sports Stadium is the OSL hall of fame. Pictures of OSL winners are posted here. You can have your photo taken here. The best time to get your picture taken is at the end of the match so that people have already left, the crews are already packing up and lights are already on.

OSL hall of fame (place your picture here, do a photoshop)


h.) I wanted so bad to have a photo taken inside the booth or the stage or the area where players got their photos taken after winning an OSL match but I don’t know if they would allow you to so we didn’t attempt to do it. I hope they created a prototype booth outside the e-Sports Stadium so fans can have their photos taken… just wishful thinking.

Area for the player who won an OSL game (place your picture here, do a photoshop)


i.) There’s a fan meeting after the game. The winning players of the winning team will talk to the fans and you can have picture time and a little chit-chat with the players. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to attend any fan meetings. I’m a Bisu fan and my husband is a Flash fan and both of them lost last Sunday . Although Flash won last Tuesday vs Ace, we didn’t attend the fan meeting because we have to catch our flight back. For the losing team, the fan girls still approach the team to give some food or letters but this is very quick compared to fan meeting of the winning team, no pictures were taken and no autograph signing. When Team 8 won vs SKT, we saw Jaedong and Baby talking to some of the fans after the games but we were too late and they were about to leave when we arrived. If there are 2 PL matches for the day, the fan meeting of the first PL match will coincide with the 2nd match, so if you’re busy watching the 2nd match, you would probably miss the fan meeting so just follow the fan girls… this was the reason why seats were not yet occupied during KT vs CJ games 1 and 2, the fan girls were still waiting for Team 8.

Jaedong with the fan girls during fan meeting


Jaedong leaving


j.) SKT, KT and STX have paraphernalia for cheering. Before the game starts, they put these materials (cardboard where you fold and use for clapping or just a placard) in the seats. We took these for souvenirs The paper where you can write your cheers and use as a placard is available in the entrance. No one would give that to you automatically so just look for the table beside the entrance door, just get the paper and ask for pens if you don’t have one.

k.) Even if you see the players in the area walking around, you can’t have any pictures taken with them. We saw Flash walking around after he took a wash room break. Two Korean fans approached him and asked for picture taking but Flash refused. Of course we don`t understand Korean but I think he probably said ‘right after the game, during fan meeting’. This makes sense, maybe the players are avoiding picture taking with fans before the games because all fans could approach them and could result in delay of the games and players might get distracted as well.

Stolen shots of Flash after KT vs CJ match



Stolen shot of STX meeting with fan girls after Khan vs STX match


Stolen shot of STX leaving

Overall, despite Bisu losing against Movie, we still enjoyed the experience. It was really different watching the games live vs watching the games thru live streams or vods. Cheering with the fans and seeing the crowd is really nice. Of course watching the more important games like finals and OSL is more exciting, too bad we weren’t there during Ro8 OSL match but at least we saw the crowd lining up.

Aside from seeing the pro-gamers and the coaches and aside from being star struck, these are the other three highlights of our experience:

• Having a picture with Bunkie hehe (you can just approach Bunkie and ask for a picture, I think this is his job, right?)

Me and Bunkie


My husband and Bunkie


• My husband saw Flash up close in the washroom hehe (no green jokes pls hehe he was about to leave the wash room when Flash and another KT player just walked in) --- no pictures here

• Airtime during Jangbi vs Guemchi, Crazy-hydra vs Horang2, and Flash vs Effort… too bad I wasn’t seen during Bisu vs Movie

This is us during Jangbi vs Guemchi game (we were wearing TL esports shirts )


This is me cheering for KT vs CJ (I’m such a traitor to SKT and Bisu… pls. don’t hate me, Bisu, we were just really cheering for Flash... and yep, I was the one who put a shout out to snm)


This is my husband cheering for Flash during Flash vs Effort match (I blamed him when Flash lost to Effort in their SC2 game hehe)

Ace during Khan vs Ace


Go Ace!


Free, what are you doing to that guy and who is that guy anyway?


BISU HWAIIITING... before vs Movie starts!


Best and Paralyze watching Bisu vs Movie


Bunkie!


Bisu scratching his head after he lost


Bisu, pls. don't be sad...


Jaedong waiting to be interviewed after he won


Bisu alone in the bench during commercial break


Action and Barracks (this is Barracks, right?)


Shine and Jangbi during vs STX match


Stork, Turn and Jangbi watching the game


Weekly MVP, Roro (edited)


The weekly MVP inside the booth


Flash during vs Great match


Flash waiting to be interviewed after he won


KT Coach and Manager


Flash looking like a baller


FBH being interviewed


Crowd lining up for OSL Ro8 Flash vs Shine... too bad we have to catch our flight back