China to stop broadcast of S.Korean LoL league

China will stop the official broadcast of League of Legends (LoL) Champions Korea (LCK), according to the South Korean game industry.

“There would be no longer broadcast of the LCK in China,” 957 Ke Chang-Yu, a commentator of the Chinese League of Legends Pro League (LPL) said on his SNS channel.

Riot Games Korea, which oversees the LCK, confirmed China's LCK broadcast suspension.

"Due to the lack of a broadcast rights holder in China, official Chinese-language LCK broadcasts will not be available for the time being," a Riot Games Korea source said. 

When asked if the suspension was related to recent restrictions on South Korean cultural content in China, the company explained that they were not aware of the specific situation in China.

The Chinese government is supposedly wary of Korean e-sports expanding its local market share. 

In a recent tournament called the Demacia Cup hosted by the LPL, South Korean players were sometimes not shown on camera, potentially due to political sensitivities.

The LPL, alongside the LCK, divides the global League of Legends e-sports market.

Many of South Korean gamers are active in the LPL.

Write to Ju-Hyun Lee at deep@hankyung.com