APL’s Next Chapter: Exclusive Interview With CEO Judic Kim

For nearly a decade, the Ace Poker League formerly Asia Poker League has been a fixture in the Asian poker scene, connecting Korean players to international tournaments and giving them a chance to experience poker outside of home turf. Somuchpoker sat down with APL founder, CEO, and visionary Judic Kim to talk about the brand’s future plans, and the values that continue to drive one of Asia’s most passionate poker brands.

Exclusive Interview With APL CEO Judic Kim

Launched in 2016, with its debut event in Beijing, China, then known Asia Poker League carved out its place in the live poker arena, adding events in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan. By mid-2020, the world went into lockdown. The brand turned its focus solely on Korea and quickly became the leading poker organization in the country with well over a thousand entries at some of their Main Events. It was at this time that the APL welcomed in partners and changed its name to Ace Poker League.

When the company expanded grammatically through the merger, we looked for a name that would better represent our long-term growth perspective. The goal was to move beyond a purely regional identity and become a global brand. ‘Ace’ is a universal symbol in poker. Not limited. So we changed to Ace Poker League, still keeping APL.

APL Closes Shop In Korea

During the pandemic, APL played a leading role in igniting Korea’s poker boom. However, this momentum came to an abrupt halt when the government launched widespread investigations into all poker brands, ultimately forcing the shutdown of live poker in the country.

It has been one and a half years since APL stopped in Korea. The government investigated all brands. Even us. They didn’t find anything illegal. Other brands are still being investigated now. The illegal part is the prizes are from the players, it should be from sponsors. The government says it is illegal to take money from players.

Despite the shutdown in Korea, the Asian region was booming with new brands emerging and existing poker festivals drawing record-breaking fields in Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, and in Taiwan. Even Malaysia and Jeju (though Jeju is located in South Korea, locals are not allowed in the casino) have joined the fray.

Due to domestic regulation and circumstances in Korea, many strategic changes have been made over time. Korean player activities internationally have grown explosively. So while we continue to monitor the domestic situation, we still pay attention to the local market. We are still a Korean brand aiming to bring and expose players to international events. The results speak for themselves. Events like APL Manila last February had 390 Korean players. The APL has a strong following in Korea, we always brings the largest contingent of Korean players to international events.

Bringing Korea To The World And Back

Yet, even as APL reclaims its place on the international stage, Kim finds there are many challenges to bringing the brand and its following outside of the country.

There are so many problems putting events together like the problem of cost. When APL hosts events abroad, there’s too much cost for us. Also we have to think of the policy of each country. They all have different policies. At APL, we always try to create a more comfortable and enjoyable environment but local circumstances often make that difficult. It’s one of the big challenges of holding tournaments internationally.

For example, the big venues you can put banners, but when venues have low ceilings, you cannot. And also the spaces between the tables, they can be very close so it is not comfortable for players. Thats why sometimes, it depends on the country and on the venue.

While he remains deeply committed to overcoming these challenges, Kim ultimately wants to bring the action back home – hosting legal tournaments so locals can experience excitement without ever leaving their own backyard.

In truth, nobody can survive without the local power, the local base. Everyone needs the local base to survive and your own database. It is very important. That’s why it is very important now in Korea that we work with the government.

Right now we are discussing with the government on how to make poker legal in Korea. Many countries are advancing and Korea is far behind. But poker is really just beginning in Korea. We absolutely want to be back and have legal tournaments so that every Korean player can join our tournament for free. Maybe it will happen by the end of the year.

We just have to be patient, focus on what we have to do. Step by step. I tell my staff that if we want to make it in Korea, we need to invest in this for a long time. It will take time. Our logo is “APL This Is Where We Play”, but what I wanted was “APL More Better Future”.

What Makes APL Event Different

So what makes an APL event stand out from all other brands? According to Kim, an APL event isn’t all about the cards. When a mass influx of Koreans get together under one roof to play the game they all love, the atmosphere is inexplicable.

First, the massive participation of Korean players that we bring abroad is already what sets APL apart from the others. Like I mentioned earlier, our first event this year, APL Manila, had 390 Korean players. It is about community, excitement, and shared passion. Korean players say that whether the event is in Korea or abroad, there’s a feeling about APL that cannot be described. It always has a great vibe and players have a fun time. It is not so serious.

Big Surprises And Plans On The Horizon

Does APL have a signature event or flagship tournament that players talk about the most? Or is there something that players can look forward to?

We are preparing for a fantastic event soon, we will surprise everyone with a new plan. I cannot say but there is a surprise. For example, like a US$1 Million freeroll tournament. We want to make it like a golf tournament where the prize pool is only from the sponsor. No buy-in. We are planning to launch in Korea then internationally. But it is open to everyone so it is very exciting.

2025 will be a significant year for APL. We plan to offer numerous tournament opportunities to amateur players in the mind sports domain. We want to make an international league and also make some technological innovations such as broadcasting and create a new app, much like the WSOP+. The APL tournament director is actually working with WSOP right now teaching the staff the WSOP+ app. We first tested that app here. They made it and we tested it. We made a sample tournament. There is a deposit system. We are developing one now for APL. We will change some functions due to the Korean policy.

The Values That Fuel APL

At its core, Kim expressed that APL is about selling a fantasy, the dream of victory and the thrill of possibility.

We have to maintain the fantasy. The chance of winning something big. Our players love this. Actually, Japan is very interesting. They have a new system, they don’t need to have prizes, players are happy just winning a trophy. We give tickets to other APL events, to continue the dream.

To wrap it up, in a highly competitive industry, Kim jokingly compares APL to a zombie – persistent and resilient.

We’ve been around for ten years, we are just here and there, still alive. Other brands come and go but we still survive and that’s what is important.