Riot Games, developer of the immensely popular online game “League of Legends,” said Tuesday it will donate 500 million won ($44,000) for the restoration of the Korean Empire’s legation building in Washington, D.C.

The three-story building, built in 1889, was used for diplomatic activities of Korea’s last empire, the Daehan Empire, for 16 years. 

The Korean government purchased the building, the only litigation building left overseas, from an individual owner in 2012.

The donation comes as part of an agreement between Riot Games and the Cultural Heritage Administration for the restoration project.

The donation will be used mainly for refurbishing the third floor into an exhibition space that features the historical records of the building and Korea overall.

“As a cultural content company, we are proud to play a role in preserving Korea’s previous cultural heritage,” said Riot Games’ Korean manager Woody Rhee.

The “League of Legends,” more widely dubbed “LOL,” is one of the top-selling free-to-play games that earned $1.6 billion in revenue last year. Korea is one of the top markets for the game.

Since 2012, the Korean operation has continued efforts to support the preservation and restoration of Korea’s cultural heritage in partnership with the Cultural Heritage Administration.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)