On the 27th (KST), Gen.G faced off against SeolHaeOne Prince in the 2020 LCK Summer split. On the shoulders of the Gen.G uniforms, there was a new logo that was unfamiliar to many. It was a logo which represented #BlackLivesMatter (BLM), which sent a message to everyone that Gen.G stood by the cause. 

In order to hear Gen.G Korea’s stance on the matter, Inven spoke to the COO of Gen.G, Arnold Hur over a short phone call. During the conversation, we were able to listen to Gen.G’s determination in their efforts to aiding in creating a society without discrimination of any kind.

The following is a summary of the phone call with the COO of Gen.G, Arnold Hur.

Hello! Can you please introduce yourself to the fans?

Hello, my name is Arnold Hur, and I’m the COO of Gen.G. It’s especially great to be able to have this interview fresh after a match victory.

It seems that you just watched Gen.G’s match. How do you feel about their current performance?

It seems that our team’s levelling up. We’ve always tried to play more aggressive and try various new things. Although there are mistakes made in that process, it’s a necessary process in order to become more competitive. It’s also essential to be able to learn fast as well.

On the shoulders of the Gen.G players, there was a new logo patched on their uniforms. How did Gen.G come to support the cause of BLM?

As a global company, we wanted to show that the KR office of the company is also showing support to our U.S office. Because we stand in solidarity with the idea of BLM, we decided to patch a logo on our players’ uniforms. Additionally, we want to emphasize that we do not have any political objectives behind this. As it’s an issue concerning fundamental human rights, we believe that it’s an issue no one can disagree with.

For Gen.G, what does it mean to be actively supporting such a cause?

We’ll continue to support causes like such, and we believe that we need to be more conscious about such issues. We believe in equality in the esports world and in its industry, and although it may take a bit of time, patching on a logo like this will make people remember what’s important.

Especially among the Korean fans, there was confusion about how the logo’s design used the Korean flag. Can you tell us how the design came to be?

We wanted to show that we’re actively taking part in such global issues. We collaborated with a local artist in Seoul to design the logo, and felt that it was a good way to show that the KR office stands in solidarity. As a Korean-Americnan myself, I’ve never seen many Korean artists and figures in the entertainment industry show their support, and I believe that there’s much meaning behind the world standing united to support the movement.

However,  rather than BLM, the Korean community will definitely identify more with #AllLivesMatter. What are your thoughts?

Rather than focusing on other discriminatory matters, we wanted to focus on the matter that was present in front of us and show our support in creating an equal society. We do sympathize with the problems that people of other races face, and our purpose isn’t to belittle other races. The logo symbolizes the fact that there is still much work to be done in creating a better society, and it also serves as a reminder to ourselves. 

Other than BLM, are there any future plans that Gen.G’s planning?

At the end of the day, we’re only an esports company, but if there’s anything we can do to support the society, we’ll take an active role in doing all we can. Through this, if we can influence and inspire others, and provide aid in creating an equal society, we see no problems in moving in such direction.

Members of Gen.G and its fans consist of people of many different races. What would you like to say to them?

I always say this, but we’d like to thank every one of you for their support. We’re always very inspired by our fans. Thank you very much, and we’ll continue to work hard in becoming a company that is a positive influence to everyone.

Lastly, as the COO of Gen.G, what’s Gen.G’s goal this year?

We’re not an organization with a long history. However, we’ve worked hard in finding our footing in the esports industry, and we’ll continue to do so. In addition, just as we’ve done up till now, we’ll continue to provide support in making our players perform at the highest level and win. Even if it’s something that no one’s done before, if it’s something that’s necessary, we’ll be the forerunners in walking that road, just as we’ve done so until now.