On June 10th (KST), the media day for the 2020 League of Legends Champions Korea Summer Split was held. Players and coaches from the ten participating teams answered questions from the media. Below is the full media day interview with the ten teams’ coaches and players.

What are your goals for the summer season?

Kang “GorillA” Beom-hyeon: We ended up in 9th place last season. This summer, we’ll do our best to bring better performances so that we can end at a higher rank.

Coach Jeong “FanTaSy” Myeong-hoon: I think we showed only bad performances during the spring. In the summer, we’ll do our best so that we don’t. The players are working harder than ever, so I hope everyone trusts them and cheers for them.

Jeon “ikksu” Ik-soo: Starting from 10th place, our goal is to get as high as possible. We’ll do our best.

Kim “Sickness” San-ha: We’ll try to bring more entertainment to the fans with even more fun matches than the last season.

Lee “Kuro” Seo-haeng: As a result, we ended up in 5th place in spring. In the summer, we’ll finish in a higher position and do our best to get to Worlds and get good results.

Head coach Kang “Hirai” Dong-hoon: We’ll work hard so that in the summer season, we improve more. I’ll try my best to make a team that can win against any team.

Ryu “Keria” Min-seok: This summer season could be the last season this year. Although we stumble in the regular season, I’ll do my best to reach Worlds.

Head coach Kim “cvMax” Dae-ho: In the spring, we shrank in the most important situations. In the summer, even if we stumble, we won’t be frustrated and continue to do our best to bring good results.

Moon “Cuzz” Woo-chan: I’ll do my best to make a better team than the spring season.

Head coach Kim “Kim” Jeong-soo: I don’t have a big fancy goal, but I’ll do my best in each and every match so that we can laugh last.

Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk: We didn’t perform as well during the spring so we’ll come back in the summer by improving that.

Interim head coach Ju “oDin” Yeong-dal: Our goal for the summer split is to win the championship. We’ll head straight to Worlds by winning the championship.

Heo “ShowMaker” Su: I don’t think we reached our fans’ expectations in the spring. We’ll do our best to show better performances in the summer.

Head coach Lee “Zefa” Jae-min: It’s the first season since I’ve become the head coach. I’ll do my best to get good results.

Lee “Spirit” Da-yoon: We’ll prepare well so that we can show fans performances that they can enjoy.

Head coach Choi “iloveoov” Yeon-sung: We’ll do well in the summer season.

Lee “CuVee” Seong-jin: In the summer, I’ll crash everything and reach higher.

Head coach Son “Kezman” Dae-young: I think it’s good that there are more strong teams in the summer. As our team’s nickname, top-team killer, we’ll pound all the strong teams on our way.

Kim “GuGer” Do-yeop: We’re newcomers this summer, so I’m looking forward to the season. We’ll do our best to show good performances.

Head coach Bae “sBs” Ji-hun: As a challenger, we’ll do our best to show hot performances.

(To Kim) You said that you had better results than expected in the spring. I believe you would have higher goals during the summer. What are your goals? How was the feedback after the Mid-Season Cup?

Kim: In terms of raising the bar for our goals, I think we have a long way to go. I’m not sure that we’re very good. Even in the last week, our performances weren’t that good, so I think we need to work harder. The feedback after the Mid-Season Cup was about the non-ADCs. I think non-ADCs are bad so we won't be playing them. I discussed it a lot with the coaching staff. It seems that the LPL is better than the LCK, so we’re trying to accept that and work harder.

(To iloveoov) Afreeca Freecs won the KeSPA Cup and were doing well until the middle of the season. However, the team stumbled drastically later in the season. How did you evaluate the problems?

iloveoov: There are always complex reasons behind results. It would be showing our weakness if I say specifically about the problem, but we did locate it and are trying to fix it. We’ll do our best so that it doesn’t happen again in the summer.

It’s the first season in the LCK for Team Dynamics. What are your expectations and what are you worried about the most?

sBs: As much as we’re newbies in the league, we’re not aiming too high. What’s positive is that since we’re starting at the bottom, all we can go is up. What we’re worried about the most is that since the LCK players are so good, we need to get through them to get higher.

If the team’s doing 100%, how high do you think you can get?

sBs: We got better as the league went in Challengers Korea. I can’t say that we’re well prepared yet. If we do really well, I think we can aim for the playoffs.

(To Zefa) It’s the first season for you as the head coach. What’s your goal?

Zefa: When someone asks me for my goal, I always want to answer it’s winning the championship. Realistically, I don’t know if we’ll be able to win. I’d like to reach Worlds and do well in the playoffs.

(To CuVee) You gave fans some fun with unique picks. However, the results weren’t that good, so there was criticism as well. Do you think you’ll be able to accomplish both this season?

CuVee: More than my opinion, what the coaching staff thinks is important. I’ll trust them and follow them.

Kezman: (Slaps CuVee’s back)

YamatoCannon joined the team as the head coach. How is it and what are you looking forward to in the summer?

GorillA: Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to live together in the team house yet. We had to talk online. Anyways, as much as he’s from the LEC, we’ll be able to seek help in terms of creativity. I believe our playstyle will get more diverse.

(To cvMax) You were seen shedding tears after losing in the playoffs. How did you feedback your players and motivate them?

cvMax: The players in DRX have much desire to win already so I didn’t necessarily need to motivate them. In terms of feedback, I mostly discuss what was regretful in the game or what I did wrong during the picks and bans. Mostly we talk about those things and about how we can win. There’s not much for me to do in terms of motivation since they already have extremely strong motivation.

(To oDin) How did the experience in the Mid-Season Cup affect the team? What has changed after coach Edgar left?

oDin: The atmosphere wasn’t that good during the Mid-Season Cup since it hadn’t been long since Edgar left. Considering that, we prepared well and the performance wasn’t bad. Although we lost 3-0, we believe we can use that to do well during the summer. As in our playstyle, I don’t think it’ll be much different.

(To Kim) Many fans talk about Worlds. They are worried about the international stage. What do you think the LCK needs to be more competitive in the international stage?

Kim: I’m not interested in the LCK doing well in the international stage. All I care about is T1 doing well. I’d like to do my best so that we can win the championship.

(To Hirai) Although you have Kuro, KT signed Ucal. How are you planning to use the two players? And how’s Smeb’s condition?

Hirai: Kuro and Ucal have different playstyles and have different champion pools. I’ve been watching them play and I think it’ll be positive for both of them and I hope it leads to good synergy between each other. It would be best if they can change each other’s weaknesses into strengths. Kuro’s recent performances have been unstable (Laughs)... I hope he does better.

Like Kuro, Smeb’s a seasoned player with experience. He knows what he needs to do within the team whether it’s out of the game or in-game. He’s doing well in that matter. When he first came back to the team, it was a bit awkward but since he’s doing his best, he’ll be back to his old self in no time.

(To Kezman) There are many players that were called up in the team. How are they different from the starting roster and do you think they can compete in the LCK level?

Kezman: I don’t think they’ll do well immediately. We’re just preparing for the future, but we called them up since they have potential. I think we have a good farm and we want to bring in more prospects. I’m sure that these are talented players.

(To Keria) It’s your second season since your debut. How much do you think you’ve improved compared to your debut? What’s your goal for the summer?

Keria: I’ve learned more about the mindset of a pro gamer, the attitude towards playing in official matches. In the summer, my goal is the same as the team’s goal: winning Worlds. Also, I want to be called the World’s best support by doing well in the matches.

(To all coaches) There are rising stars every season. Which player do you have the highest expectations for?

FanTaSy: Not quite “rising star” but Summit has improved a lot through practice. He should do well in the summer.

Sickness: Mickey has returned to the team. He has become more patient and has more strengths now. I’m looking forward to his performances.

Hirai: I have high hopes for Smeb. I hope he does well. I’ll be cheering for him. I hope he can turn his resentment of sitting the spring season out in the summer.

cvMax: Deft has high understanding of the game. He’s in a good form so I’m looking forward to his performances in the summer.

Kim: I believe Faker and Teddy will do well.

oDin: Bdd said that he’ll beat all the mid laners so I’m looking forward to that.

Zefa: I’m looking forward to ShowMaker, who’s currently 1st in the solo queue ladder.

iloveoov: With him sitting in front, I don’t think I can say any other player. I hope Spirit does well.

Kezman: I’d like to say the bottom duo players both, but since Viper’s new to our team, I’ll say him. I believe Viper will become the hottest figure in the summer.

sBs: I would say Rich. He attracts a lot of attention and since he always wants more, I think he’ll do well.

(To all coaches) Which team would be the favorites?

sBs: Gen.G. After watching them play in the previous competition, I think they’re really strong.

Kezman: The strong teams like T1 or Gen.G would do well, but the team that I think will do the best is DRX. They play the game very interesting. Since they have what can make the LCK into a more interesting league, I’d like to pick them.

iloveoov, Zefa: I’ll say T1.

oDin: I’ll also say T1, since we weren’t able to beat them last season.

Kim: I’ll pick Gen.G They’re all very good.

cvMax: T1 has always been solid. They do well so that they don’t fall, so I’ve always mentioned them, but recently, Gen.G’s players are doing extremely well, so I’ll go with Gen.G.

Hirai: It’s hard to pick just one team… T1 and Gen.G are both quite strong. I think both teams are very strong.

Sickness: I think T1 will win the championship. During the scrims and during last season, the hardest team to face was T1. 

FanTaSy: I think DRX would do well this season. The individuals are good and the teamwork between the five players are really good.

Which team do you think is the weakest? Is there a team you’d like to beat no matter what in the summer season?

FanTaSy: Since we’ve been to the promotion/relegation series, I don’t think it would be right to pick the weakest team. But I do want to have revenge against Team Dynamics who beat us in that series.

Sickness: We also trailed to Team Dynamics in Challengers Korea. I really want to beat them.

Hirai: There are many teams that I’d like to beat, but I want to pick SeolHaeWon. Since we lost to APK twice in the spring, I really want to beat them. There’s also DRX.

cvMax: Since my record is bad against T1, I really want to beat them.

Kim: I put in some thought, but I don’t think there are any. I think I forgot everything after raising the trophy.

oDin: Obviously, it would be T1 for us, since we never beat them.

Zefa: I always want to beat the teams I was formerly in, so I’ll pick T1 and Afreeca.

iloveoov: I’ll pick T1 who I picked as favorites.

Kezman: There aren’t any teams in particular that I want to beat. I’ll try to get all the teams above us one by one.

sBs: When I first thought about this, I wanted to win in the opening match against KT, but since SeolHaeWon said that they want to beat us, I’ll return the favor; I want to beat them.

(To Kezman) You called up two junglers. Are you aiming to play towards the jungle?

Kezman: Haru is a bit inconsistent so we called them up to deal with that. More than thinking of them to perform immediately, we called them up to feed them experience for the future.

(To all) Which lane do you think will be the most important?

GuGer: It easier to play the game if the team has a strong mid-jungle, so I’ll pick the mid-jungle duo.

CuVee: In League of Legends, mid lane was always important. So I think the mid lane will always be the most important.

Spirit: The mid-jungle duo is the main of this game, so I think they’ll be important.

ShowMaker: The main lane will be mid lane. Also, I think the Death’s Dance is really good right now. The ADCs that select the Death’s Dance will be fearsome.

Ruler: The mid-jungle will be the main.

Cuzz: The current patch is similar to the spring. The mid-jungle synergy needs to be good.

Keria: I think it’s mid and ADC.

Kuro: I also think it’s mid-jungle. And because of the Death’s Dance, ADCs will important as well.

ikksu: The Death’s Dance is really good. If there’s a champion that builds the Death’s Dance, that lane will be important.

GorillA: I’ll include support in addition to mid-jungle. The plays that those three make would be important.

(To ShowMaker) You’ve reached 1st in the solo queue ladder. How do you feel? Also, many people say that the individual prowesses of DAMWON players are really good. What’s needed for that to lead to results?

ShowMaker: I do feel good being 1st in the ladder, but I don’t think it means anything. For us to have good results, we need to gather our shotcalls together and work as one.

(To Kezman) If you were to pick between hot, fun plays and good results, what would you pick?

Kezman: I’ll pick hot and fun plays. If we do well while playing that way, the results would follow. Showing that kind of performances is more important to me.

(To ShowMaker) Which team and mid laner was impressive to you during the Mid-Season Cup?

ShowMaker: I thought all of the LPL teams were good. I didn’t face him directly during the MSC, but Bdd was the most impressive mid laner.

(To ikksu) The team’s name has been changed. Were there more changes that you felt?

ikksu: The team supported us much so the environment got better.

How would you like to respond to CuVee saying that he’ll beat all the top laners?

ikksu: All top laners always think that they’ll beat the opponent top laner, so it would be the same. Every top laner would play thinking that it’s easy to play against their counterparts.

Images via Riot Games

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