Super Junior’s Kim Hee-Chul has always been known to be an avid League of Legends fan, and even holds a Diamond rank in the game! It comes with no surprise that he and several other sports celebrities have invested in South Korean esports organization BRION E-Sports, according to a report by INVEN. The other investors include athletes such as sports shooter Jin Jong-oh and legendary baseball players Park Yong-taik and Kim Tae-kyun.

The organization plans to compete in the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK). The league will transition to a long-term partnership model next year. As The Esports Observer reported, entry fees for successful team partners will cost  ₩10B KRW ($8.2M USD) for existing teams, and newcomers could be required to pay a fee somewhere between ₩12B – ₩15B ($10M – $12.3M).

Hee-Chul Kim is a member of the South Korean boy band Super Junior, whose members have a significant presence in the South Korean music and film industry. Jin Jong-oh won four gold medals for shooting at the 2008-2016 Summer Olympics.

According to the report, Jin Jong-oh will also provide sports psychology support to players, while Kim Hee-Chul, Park Yong-taik, and Kim Tae-kyun will share insights on communicating better and growing relationships with fans. 

 
BRION E-Sports is the esports management arm of the BRION Sports Business Group, which offers marketing and product distribution services in the Korean sports industry. Its League of Legends team, hyFresh Blade (previously known as Brion Blade) competes in the tier-two Challengers Korea competition, and placed fourth in the most recent Spring playoffs.

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This article was adapted from The ESports Observer.