Are the two major regions applying different standards to penalties? LCK fines 85,000 RMB for tax violations, while LPL fines 150,000 RMB for etiquette mistakes.

Recently, another controversy has erupted in the League of Legends community, this time concerning player misconduct. GEN's ADC player, Ruler, was found to have violated tax regulations, and the Korea eSports Association's Sports Fair Play Committee unanimously ruled to impose a fine of 89,000 yuan. This seems like a normal decision, so why has it caused such controversy?

Ruler tax violations, fines, and performance of community service

This debate wasn't about defending the violator; rather, his incident served as the catalyst, revealing the stark difference in punishment between the two major regions. Chinese and Korean players were once again on edge, igniting a war of words. Ruler, with his massive fanbase, naturally had his words and actions magnified. To prevent the controversy from escalating, the association acted swiftly, following the disciplinary procedures to avoid a veteran star's downfall. There's a large number of anti-rulers who love to promote a "cancellation culture," wanting those who have achieved fame and fortune to be ruined. The first penalty was a fine of 89,000 RMB (20 million Korean won). The second penalty was mandatory 40 hours of community service, permanently recorded in his professional file, which would negatively impact future evaluations and transfer negotiations—a stain he couldn't erase.

Based on past examples, LCK players have always resolved any mistakes by paying fines. Netizens feel that this is a special arrangement for high-paid players, the best way to settle things peacefully. Even if community service is added, for the players, it's just a small amount to make a big deal out of a small one, and it doesn't have a deterrent effect.

Netizens criticized the double standards in the punishment, and again brought up the comparison with LPL players.

It's unclear whether netizens are overly emotionally interpreting this, or if they're again comparing it to the LPL. The truth is, the association wants to force players to comply with the law in order to fulfill their public service obligations, demanding they demonstrate their social responsibility as public figures and, incidentally, rectify the atmosphere in the region. As the S7 World Championship winner, this is Ruler's first violation, and given his clean private life, lack of negative press, and absence of insults, discrimination, or passive play, shouldn't he be let off the hook?

Online discussions have shifted to another topic, no longer focusing on whether the player should be punished, but rather on the double standards in the severity of punishment. This is because there have been cases in the LPL region where another player had a similar incident, but received vastly different penalties.

Image source: Internet