16 July 2026, Seoul - The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, led by Ambassador Bernadette Therese Fernandez, met with T1 Entertainment & Sports Chief Operating Officer Josh Ahn and Chief Financial Officer Shawn Kim to exchange views on the evolving esports landscape and explore opportunities for cooperation in the digital economy and creative industries. 

T1 Entertainment & Sports is a leading global esports organization headquartered in Seoul and jointly operated by SK Telecom and Comcast Spectacor. The company fields professional teams across major esports titles, including League of Legends, VALORANT, Overwatch 2, PUBG, FC Online, Teamfight Tactics, and TEKKEN 8. 

During the meeting, T1 presented its regional expansion strategy and identified the Philippines as one of its priority markets in Southeast Asia, citing the country’s large, youthful, and highly engaged gaming community, strong esports viewership, and enduring affinity for Korean entertainment and culture. 

T1 highlighted the Philippines as one of its most significant fan bases in the region, noting that Filipino audiences are among Southeast Asia’s leading consumers of esports content and livestreams. The company also shared potential areas for future engagement, including fan events, media and creator collaborations, university and youth initiatives, tourism promotion, and partnerships with Philippine brands and industry stakeholders. The discussion likewise underscored the growing convergence of esports, digital content, entertainment, and intellectual property as emerging drivers of the creative economy. 

Ambassador Fernandez welcomed T1’s interest in the Philippine market and underscored the country’s growing prominence as one of Southeast Asia’s leading gaming and esports communities. The meeting highlighted the potential for continued dialogue on initiatives that support innovation, people-to-people exchanges, and mutually beneficial collaboration in the gaming, digital content, and creative sectors between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea. END