With several high-stakes competitions taking place and round-the-clock access to Internet games available at the thousands of game rooms all over the country, Korea has become a land of opportunity and proving ground for professional Internet gamers from all over the world. Insiders say many participants who first came to Korea from abroad to compete in several major StarCraft competitions last year have been returning to enjoy the rich gaming environment here. As much as U.S. Major League baseball is the top proving ground for ballplayers the world over, Korea has become the elite arena for international gamers and the world's top-ranking gamers say that Korea is the only place where they can make good money.

Eighteen-year old Canadian Guillaume Patry, who has been holed up at an Internet plaza located in front of Yonsei University in Shinchon practicing StarCraft says there are few internet cafes in Canada, making it difficult for him to hone his skills back home. Patry, who is considered the world's number one StarCraft player, said he can only get in 15-20 hours of practice a week in Canada, but he is able to practice as much as 35-40 hours a week in Korea.

According to an industry source, there are about 3-5 different StarCraft tournaments with purses of at least W30 million taking place every month in Korea, with more than 2 minor competitions held every week. As a result, foreign players have come to regard Korea as a paradise for Internet games.

(Shin Dong-hun, dhshin@chosun.com)