Jiwoo: This year has made me feel like a true professional player

KUKINEWS, a Korean media outlet, released a video interview with NS bot player Jiwoo.

Q: During the offseason, how do you usually spend your break?

Jiwoo: During breaks, I usually stay at home and meet friends once a week.

Q: How do you spend your time during the offseason?

Jiwoo: During the offseason, I continue playing practice matches and ranked games to maintain my form and recover my strength.

Q: I heard a rumor that you enjoy fishing. Did you go fishing after the season ended?

Jiwoo: That's incorrect information.

Q: Oh, that's incorrect? What are your actual hobbies?

Jiwoo: I don't enjoy fishing. My hobbies include watching YouTube videos and reading manga at home.

Q: What kind of YouTube channels do you watch?

Jiwoo: YouTube? I usually watch short videos there.

Q: Let's talk about the 2023 season. During the 2022 Summer Split, your team won the LCK CL (secondary league) championship. All your teammates moved up to the main team, but you stayed in the LCK CL and played another season without being promoted to the main team. Do you regret this?

Jiwoo: At that time, I was really disappointed. But looking back, it was better for me to improve my skills before moving to the main team. Joining the main team after enhancing my abilities allowed me to perform better.

Q: So, the effort you put into improving while in the academy team contributed to your success in the main team?

Jiwoo: Yes.

Q: On June 18th, midway through the Summer Split, you made your debut in the LCK. Your debut match was memorable. Do you remember the situation at that time?

Jiwoo: My debut opponent was Deft, and I was very nervous. I couldn't perform well. But in the next match, I showed a better performance, which made me happy.

Q: How did you feel facing Deft, a well-known and experienced player?

Jiwoo: He was already famous, and being an experienced player, I was extremely nervous.

Q: After playing in the main team, what do you think is the biggest difference between the main team and the academy team?

Jiwoo: There's a significant difference in lane control and operational aspects.

Q: What specific differences in lane control and operations did you notice? Is it about skill or other aspects?

Jiwoo: There are differences in minion wave management and details in operations. The main team pays more attention to these details.

Q: Reflecting on the Summer Split, your Nidalee even became a permaban, even though not many players excel with Nidalee. It was because of your proficiency. How do you feel about your Nidalee being consistently banned? Are you proud of it?

Jiwoo: I stopped thinking of playing Nidalee midway through the season, but she was still consistently banned. I feel proud, but at the same time, it's regrettable not being able to choose Nidalee when I wanted to, as she was always banned.

Q: Which game using Nidalee are you most satisfied with? Do you remember a match where you performed exceptionally well?

Jiwoo: The game against KDF, where I picked Nidalee for the first time, was the most memorable.

Q: Including the game with Nidalee, which match from the 2023 season left the strongest impression on you?

Jiwoo: A game using Kaisa left the strongest impression.

Q: Specifically, which game with Kaisa are you referring to?

Jiwoo: It should be against BRO, but I can't remember the exact opponent. I used Kaisa and unfortunately couldn't eliminate all opponents in the Elder Dragon teamfight. That remains a very vivid memory for me.

Q: Although NS didn't make it to the playoffs in the 2023 Summer Split, you successfully made a name for yourself this season. What memories did 2023 leave you with?

Jiwoo: This year made me feel like a genuine professional player.

Q: What does being a true professional player mean to you?

Jiwoo: Players in the main team qualify for playoffs and global finals; they perform really well. Experiencing this made me deeply feel like a professional player.

Q: Because main team players are closer to the global stage and have more experience, playing with them made you feel like a genuine professional player?

Jiwoo: Yes.

Q: Let's change the tone of the interview. On the internet, there's a meme about NS team and you called "NS Universe." Have you heard of it?

Jiwoo: I've heard it often.

Q: What do you think about the term "NS Universe"? After Peyz's debut, there was a comparison saying that Peyz had a "golden spoon" debut, while you had a "mud spoon" debut.

Jiwoo: When I hear that term, I don't have strong feelings. I find it amusing every time people say that.