Facts not in evidence.

A newcomer to the European Congress doesn't know what to expect. If he arrives to find that he's playing a bunch of other Koreans, he may decide that isn't worth returning another year. The real measure of whether the top players are having a good time is if they come back again in future years.

Naturally 'having a good time' involves other factors than simply playing other strong Koreans, but a steady stream of new faces winning the EGC and then never returning doesn't give you grounds to draw your conclusion.

There are both regular and occasional participants from every country.