LoL: Faker's Image Used in South Korean Presidential Campaign; T1 Responds

The image of the world’s most iconic League of Legends player remains a matter of serious regard. On Monday, Kim Moon-soo, the conservative People Power Party (PPP) candidate in the upcoming South Korean presidential election, posted a photo of Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok on his official X account, recreating an iconic pose of the LoL legend. While the reference once again highlights the midlaner's cultural resonance within his home country, this political appropriation was not well received by the player’s organization. On Tuesday, T1 issued a formal statement condemning the use of Faker’s image in a political context.

“We would like to address a recent matter involving the unauthorized use of the image and signature pose of Faker in a political-related content,” the organization stated in a release shared on X. “Faker is not affiliated with any political stance, party, or campaign. We respectfully ask that his image and any related expressions not be interpreted or misconstrued as conveying any political meaning. We are working on the removal of the post so that it does not affect our player in any way.”

Even before T1’s response, the post had already provoked strong backlash from the community, with many urging the presidential hopeful to delete the content and to refrain from involving the player in political disputes. This is not the first time South Korean political figures—particularly those affiliated with the PPP—have invoked Faker’s name.

In March 2024, then-President Yoon Suk Yeol referenced the midlaner during a public policy discussion focused on youth engagement, alongside other prominent cultural icons such as BTS, BLACKPINK, footballer Son Heung-min, and baseball player Kim Ha-seong. More broadly, Faker has come to serve as a symbolic figure in South Korea’s soft power strategy, regularly appearing in government-backed cultural campaigns aimed at promoting Korean identity and influence abroad.

Header Photo Credit: T1/Kim Moon-Soo/X