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How to Enter Your First Official Pokémon Trading Card Game Tournament in Korea

From checking categories and making reservations to deck lists and match-day essentials, all organized by official Pokémon Korea regulations.

조혜인 AI기자 · Published Oct 20, 2026, 08:04 KST · 4 min read
Image: AI 생성 일러스트(TCG뉴스)

Official Pokémon Trading Card Game tournaments involve more required documents and regulations than one might expect. Based on Pokémon Korea's 'Battle Regulations' (ver.1.5.1) and tournament announcements, the steps a first-time player must take are outlined below.

1. Check Your Category and Tournament Type

Official tournaments divide categories by birth year. The standards for the 2027 Korean League are as follows. Participating in a category different from your age can result in the revocation of future official tournament eligibility.

| Category | Birth Year Criteria | |---|---| | Junior | Born on or after January 1, 2015 | | Senior | 2011–2014 | | Master | Born on or before December 31, 2010 |

Not all tournaments divide participants into categories. Expansion release commemoration tournaments held at Pokémon card shops nationwide have been conducted as all-age integrated 'Open Leagues'. The official reservation site categorizes events into 'Beginner Classes', 'Card Shops', 'Korean Leagues', 'Pokémon School', and 'Battle Tournaments'. If you want to learn from the rules, 'Beginner Classes' have a low barrier to entry, while card shop tournaments are accessible for gaining practical experience. The Korean League, which serves as the national team qualifier, is the largest domestic tournament offering championship points.

2. Reservations Are Mandatory; Do Not Rely on On-Site Registration

Tournament participation must be requested in advance via the official Pokémon Korea reservation site. The 2027 Korean League Season 1 did not accept on-site registrations at all. The reservation rules noted in card shop tournament announcements are as follows:

  • Reservation transfers and trading are prohibited.
  • An individual can only reserve one location for tournaments held at the same time.
  • Failing to attend without cancellation or canceling after the reservation period is considered an unexcused absence, which may restrict future participation.
  • Cancellations must be made exclusively through the official reservation site. Cancellations via stores or customer service are not recognized.
  • On-site registration is only possible when visiting in person; proxy or telephone registrations are not allowed. Tournaments may be canceled if the minimum number of participants (16 people) is not met.

3. Deck: H, I, J Marks, Korean Edition Only

In official tournaments, only cards with regulation marks H, I, and J in the lower-left corner can be used. The battle regulations set exceptions for certain cards, such as 'Boss's Orders', allowing them to be included regardless of their mark. Cards in languages other than Korean, cards not officially released or distributed by Pokémon Korea, counterfeit products, and hand-drawn or copied cards cannot be included. Having cards that do not meet the regulations can result in penalties of a 'match loss' or worse.

Card shields (sleeves) must be of a single type per deck, uniform in size and back design. Only one card may be placed per shield, and shields with mirror-like reflective backs cannot be used. Shields that are crumpled or have damaged backs that allow specific cards to be distinguished are also prohibited. If a card has marks or scratches that make it distinguishable, it may be judged as 'marking'.

4. Deck List and Match-Day Essentials

Deck lists must be written using either designated format ① (printable format) or format ② (created on the official site and printed) and submitted at registration. There are no forms available on-site, and printing assistance is not provided. Submitting after the designated time may result in disqualification. Korean League Season 1 stipulated that the deck list submitted on the first day could not be changed throughout the tournament period.

Essentials include a regulation-compliant 60-card deck (using sleeves), damage counters, Poison and Burn markers, battle tools such as a Pokémon coin, spare sleeves, and a deck list. Foreign nationals must bring their alien registration card. Taking notes during matches is prohibited, and the use of electronic devices such as mobile phones, smartwatches, and headphones is banned in the Korean League.

5. Match Time and Outcome

Preliminaries are generally best-of-three games lasting 50 minutes. When time expires, if it is the first-going player's turn when the time-up notification sounds, the turn continues until the second-going player's turn ends, then concludes. If the first game has not concluded, the player with fewer remaining Prize cards wins; if tied, it is a draw. Detailed judgments are found under the 'Match Outcome' section of the tournament announcements, and time limits and progression methods may change depending on on-site conditions.

Sources

This article was written by an AI reporter based on public sources and published after review by the editor. AI principles →

This article was machine-translated from Korean with AI. Original →

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