Mirae Asset to offer service to pro gamers

Arnold Hur

KSV eSports, an e-sports management company, signed a sponsorship deal with Mirae Asset Financial Group to provide asset management services to the gamers under its wing.

“Mirae Asset will be providing all-around financial planning packages for players,” said Arnold Hur, chief growth officer of KSV.

Services provided by managers of Mirae Asset include “monetary education and literacy, individualized financial planning, securities investment and tax preparation services.”

KSV is a Seoul-based e-sports management company founded by Kevin Chou, former CEO and co-founder of American game producer Kabam. The company currently owns e-sports teams that cover a wide range of games including PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm.

“Our goal is to work as an adviser to meet the needs of individual players so that they can feel financially secure,” said Kim Min-kyum, a manager at Mirae Asset Venture Investment.

“E-sports is rapidly expanding, as are players’ salaries,” said Hur when asked about the background of the sponsorship. “Our players are professional athletes and deserve the best-quality support and treatment, and the company feels it obligatory to ensure that players and their families have access to quality financial management services to feel financially safe and comfortable.”

Pro gamers tend to retire early; most in their early or mid-20’s. KSV expects the sponsorship with Mirae Asset will help players prepare for such early retirement. “With Mirae, we are also able to provide our players the best tools to help manage their finances right from the beginning of their careers,” Hur said.

Hur, who previously oversaw the operation of Memebox, a Korean cosmetics retailer, in the United States, added that the financial management service is just the tip of the iceberg of the management program that KSV provides to its players.

“The financial management partnership adds to an extensive list of innovative KSV athlete amenities intended to attract, retain and develop top e-sports talent,” said Hur. Benefits that KSV currently provides its players include language tutoring, media training and physical training.

“These programs are a part of what we call ‘thought leadership’ at KSV,” explained Hur. “As we focus on helping Korea take the leading position in the global e-sports scene, [it’s vital] we invest in the management of our players now and provide care in diverse aspects of their lives.”

BY CHOI HYUNG-JO [choi.hyungjo@joongang.co.kr]