Will professional gamer Faker be buried within the Nationwide Cemetery?

Faker, proper, with President Lee Jae Myung / Korea Instances picture by Need Tae-seok

Is skilled gamer Lee Sang-hyeok, higher often known as Faker and hailed as a “League of Legends legend,” thought-about a nationwide advantage recipient? Is he eligible for burial on the Nationwide Cemetery after he dies?

These questions surfaced on-line after Faker obtained the Blue Dragon Sports activities Medal, the best grade of South Korea’s sports activities honor, from President Lee Jae Myung on Jan. 2.

On Jan. 22, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs addressed public curiosity by way of its official social media channels, explaining what the honour does and doesn’t entail.

The ministry stated Faker’s award locations him alongside figures resembling marathoner Sohn Kee-chung, former nationwide soccer coach Guus Hiddink, golfer Pak Se-ri, determine skating star Kim Yuna and Premier League footballer Son Heung-min, including that Faker is the first-ever e-sports athlete to obtain the Blue Dragon Sports activities Medal.

The Sports activities Medal is awarded to people who’ve made excellent contributions to the event of sports activities and the promotion of public health. It’s divided into 5 grades, with the Blue Dragon Medal representing the best distinction. The honour displays the state’s evaluation of Faker’s lasting impression on the expansion and international recognition of e-sports.

In response to the query, the ministry clarified that Faker will not be thought-about a nationwide advantage recipient. The Blue Dragon Sports activities Medal will not be included amongst these outlined below Article 4 of the Act on the Honorable Therapy and Help of Individuals of Distinguished Companies to the State. In consequence, on the idea of this award, neither Faker nor his descendants obtain advantages reserved for nationwide advantage recipients.

As for burial on the Nationwide Cemetery, the ministry stated it’s potential however not computerized. Sports activities medal recipients qualify as contributors to nationwide and social growth below Article 5 of the Act on the Institution and Administration of Nationwide Cemeteries, which means they meet the minimal eligibility requirement for burial consideration.

Nevertheless, remaining approval requires evaluation by the Burial Eligibility Assessment Committee. The ministry cited the case of Sohn Kee-chung, a nationwide marathon hero who died in 2002. After being posthumously awarded the Blue Dragon Sports activities Medal, Sohn was accredited for burial at Daejeon Nationwide Cemetery following committee deliberation.

This text from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Instances, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Instances.