“Forget the top lane, help the jungle!” “We need to go this way to secure the win!” “Our team excels in large-scale fights, so let’s focus on those instead of small skirmishes.”
For over 30 minutes, the ten players were immersed in intense battles, their shouts and occasional sighs of frustration echoing through the room.
After a tight contest, the Red Team emerged victorious. As their victory was announced, the Red Team players erupted in cheers. Even though the game had ended, both teams gathered to review their strategies. The coach, who is also their teacher, congratulated the Red Team and provided the Blue Team with advice and strategies for their next match.
This might look like a scene from an e-sports arena, but surprisingly, it’s a snapshot of an e-sports class at Eunpyeong Meditech High School. Located in Seoul’s Eunpyeong district, this specialized high school was the first in the world to introduce an e-sports department. Every day, multiple intense matches take place here. The school is filled with students aspiring to become the next ‘Faker’ or ‘Deft’.
Founded in 1970 as Yeonseong Technical High School, it was renamed Eunpyeong Meditech High School in 2010. The school now offers various programs, including e-sports, SMT coding, health cooking, and health nursing. The e-sports department, launched in 2019, celebrated its first batch of graduates last year.
As of Mar. 2024, about 110 students are enrolled in the e-sports department. The diverse origins of these students reflect their passion, with some commuting over two hours daily from places like Chuncheon, and others coming from as far as Busan. Their goal is clear: to become professional gamers.
These students are not just typical high school gamers; their skill levels are exceptional. Among the over 4 million League of Legends players worldwide, the average ranking of Eunpyeong Meditech High School students is around the top 1,000. This means they are in the top 0.025% of players. The highest-ranked student has even reached 230th place globally.
Given their high skill levels, the admission process is highly competitive. Eunpyeong Meditech High School selects students through general and special admissions. For the e-sports department, most students are chosen via special admissions, which consider factors like League of Legends tier rankings and middle school attendance records, followed by interviews with the principal.
The instructors at the school are also top-notch. They possess not only excellent gaming skills but also the qualifications to teach. The department recruits the best educators nationwide, including well-known game league coaches, to ensure students become outstanding talents.
However, the school recognizes that not all students will become professional gamers. To prepare for this, they offer diverse pathways. For instance, students can pursue careers as content creators on platforms like YouTube. The curriculum is divided into different tracks: the player track focuses on honing practical skills and teaching data analysis techniques for improving gameplay, while the other track covers basics like computer graphics and video production.
Thanks to the structured school curriculum, student satisfaction is high. Jung Chan-hyuk, a second-year student, said, “It’s great that I can pursue a career as a pro gamer while also considering other career paths. It feels like catching two birds with one stone.”
Similarly, fellow second-year student Kim Hyun-woo remarked, “I like that I can train and practice individually at school, making my time more efficient. The excellent facilities and equipment provided by the school allow me to focus solely on my training.”
Ethics education is also a priority. Students are taught not only about gaming but also about the ethical standards expected of e-sports players, along with core subjects such as Korean, languages, and mathematics.
Park Jung-jin, a teacher who has been with the school for two years, stated, “We use the latest technologies, like big data analysis, to teach more effectively. For example, we identify when players are most vulnerable during games and apply this insight to future matches.”
The students have achieved impressive results in competitions. They won the Eunpyeong District Youth E-sports Tournament in 2021, the Seoul Cup x Schoolympics in 2022, and the 2nd and 3rd Woori WON Banking High School LoL League, among nearly ten other awards over the past two years.
The school is also expanding its collaborations to help students realize their dreams. They have signed MOUs with domestic teams like DRX (DragonX) and FearX (formerly Sandbox Gaming), as well as partnerships with the Seoul E-sports Association, Jeonnam Science University, and Osan University for student advancement.
Eunpyeong Meditech High School’s principal, Park Myeong-Kap, said, “We will spare no effort in supporting our students to achieve their dreams. As e-sports is a field gaining significant investment and attention in countries like China and Saudi Arabia, we aim to ensure our students can compete on the world stage and proudly represent Korea.”
