[스포츠서울 | 김지윤 기자] “I read a lot of bad articles every day before going to bed. Thinking about those articles the next day, I think I’m creating a situation where I can work hard and motivate myself.”
The ‘crazy high school’ deft, which appeared like a comet in 2013, has become a ‘best veteran’. He is preparing for the ninth summer in DRX as of 2022, starting with the Samsung Galaxy Blue. For many, the face that has just debuted is still vivid, but unlike his youthful appearance, his appearance in the game is a perfect fit for the expression ‘killing machine’.
He has won the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) and LPL, the Chinese league, as well as the recently ended Mid-Season International (MSI). As of 2022, it also achieved a great record of being ranked 2nd in the LCK cumulative kill rankings and 1st in the LOL pro career. I was able to look back on 9 years of professionalism and hear various stories from him, who has been active for a long time.
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-The secret to maintaining the skills at the top of the league
“I think it’s very simply ‘because I don’t like to lose’. I hate to lose, so I work hard, so I think I can keep it or keep improving.”
In addition to the above, he has achieved 2000 kills in his career and a total of 3000 kills up to his LPL record.
– My thoughts every time I achieve this record
“I just did it for a long time (laughs). It’s been a long time, and I hate myself so much. Still, I think it was a little difficult.”
– Unique nicknames are interesting. What’s your favorite nickname you’ve used?
“Well… ‘Self-destruct kogmo’ (-ㅅ-)? I used that ID and did a lot of kogmo, but I think it was okay.”
-What inspiration comes to mind when you change your nickname?
“There is an order in this, but if I intuitively try the characters that appear on my screen or I have already written them all out… It’s like looking around me.”
– The most memorable player in his career
“‘Clear Love’ Minkai (current EDG general manager) player. The country is different. I think he shared a lot of things while on the same team. I remember fighting a lot and feeling like I learned a lot.”
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-Maknae Deft VS Oldest Deft, internal/external difference?
“At that time, whatever I did, it was a very new experience, so I was able to have fun and work hard without any motivation. I’m experiencing a lot of new things now, but I feel like I’m at a stand still a little bit, so I think it’s better when I was younger.”
– How to overcome when you are tired and struggling?
“I read a lot of bad articles every day before going to bed. I think I create a situation where I can work hard and motivate myself every day while thinking about those articles the next day.”
-Aren’t you hurt by bad writing?
“When I feel very bad or when I think I can’t be myself, it stays for a long time. Under normal circumstances, I want to show that it’s wrong, so I think I’ll work harder.”
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A picture of Deft’s childhood was once a hot topic on the internet. Looking at him with the same facial features, but cute appearance with plump cheeks, I was curious about the ‘human Kim Hyuk-gyu’ itself, except for ‘Deft’.
-If it’s an episode that you remember from your childhood
“When I was young, I liked being active. There was a bamboo in the backyard of the apartment, and I remember being scolded because it was split in half while riding down (laughs).”
-What you want to do if you are not a pro gamer
“I want to be a director who shoots nature or animal documentaries.”
-the reason is?
“It’s not an active job. I want to live that kind of life when I watch documentaries on YouTube. A life like a natural person away from reality.”
-I like to play FIFA Online on vacation, can you win Smeep VS Keria VS Rascal?
“Kyung-ho (Smeep) hyung seems to be good with four walls (a wall that cannot be crossed), and Min-seok (Keria) and Kwang-hee (Rascal) are also good, but I think it’s worth trying.”
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After 2020, I caught my eye when I saw a picture with Hong Chang-hyeon, a ‘mark’ who reunited at DRX. He nicknamed Deft the ‘mark’s attachment doll’ and asked why.
–Why does Mark always have a deft?
“There are some requests from the press room, and when the camera takes a picture of me and Changhyun, it seems to catch me (laughs).”
-Why is he popular with his younger siblings?
“Actually, there’s quite a difference in age, but when I’m with the kids, I feel like a child, so I don’t feel the age difference very well.”
– Even if you do well, I often see you throw the ball to your teammates. Do you have any secrets to leadership?
“There is Play of the Game (POG), but I did it because I wanted to let people know that if the game itself stands out, there is someone who supports it. (Leadership) I think good things came out of trying to absorb only the strengths of the people I’ve been working with for a long time.”
-2020 DRX vs 2022 DRX
“There were a lot of issues, and I think there were a lot of games that I personally missed, so I think I need to do better.”
– Summer’s goals and aspirations
“There doesn’t seem to be anything about individual records, and the probability that it will be the last season in the LCK is very high, and the team members are aware of that to some extent, so I hope to create a meaningful, cool team, and memorable team.”
-A word to the DRX team members
“I had a lot of trouble during spring, but I think it will be even harder in summer, so I hope we worked hard together (-ㅅ-heh)”
– A word to the fans
“I received a lot of support during the spring and I think I didn’t repay that well, but in the summer, I will prepare well so that I don’t lose to any team and come back. thank you.”