SKOREA-GAMING-WOMEN

In a photo taken on April 11, 2016 Min-Bin Shin (21) of the all-female computer gaming team 'QWER' uses eye drops as she sits at her computer at an office used as a training venue for their team, in Seoul. Brought together by a Seoul-based startup, the team trained intesively for a week prior to competing in the 'Ladies Battle, an all-female League of Legends competition. In keeping with a format used by most proffessional male teams, the members of 'QWER' lived together during the training period which involved playing the game for hours on end followed by lengthy review sessions with freelance mentors and former League of Legends champions. Despite South Korea's top-tier gaming credentials proffessional female teams are a minority. But for those who excel at the strategy-based, multi-player game, international competitions can lead to high cash rewards, and the chance to sign on with prominent foreign teams. Internet-based competitive gaming, or e-sports, in South Korea is widespread, with professional teams often attracting sponsorship from the country's largest tech companies. The country has long promoted its internet technology as a key driver of growth; with Seoul often referred to as the "most wired" city on the planet. / AFP / ED JONES (Photo credit should read ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)