Kingen: I feel that joining DK will lead to outstanding results; this team has had numerous legendary top laners in the past.
Recently, Korean media interviewed Kingen, the top laner who joined DK after winning the S12 championship. He talked about the reasons for joining DK.
Q: What is the reason for joining DK?
Kingen: There's a saying, "Yesterday's enemy is today's friend." When I faced defeat against DK in a crucial moment last year, I cried many times. However, this year, I find it interesting to be part of DK and achieve good results.
"I believe that I can achieve good results this year with DK, so I joined the team," he said, adding, "Legendary top laners like Khan and Nuguri have been in this team, and I hope to continue that tradition."
"Joining DK this season has given me positive vibes," and he confidently said, "Fans can expect good results."
Q: You had a regrettable season with HLE last year. What are your thoughts on the 2023 season?
Kingen: The results didn't meet expectations, but I had a happy year. The results were regrettable, but personally, I'm not dissatisfied. For example, HLE's training camp had excellent facilities, and they took good care of our diet, leaving me with good memories.
Q: Looking back at last year, if you had to pick the most regrettable moment, when would it be?
Kingen: The most regrettable moment was losing the last game in the World Championship Play-In, as it marked the end of the year. So, the Play-In was the most regrettable.
Q: How did you feel at that moment, considering it was also heartbreaking for the fans?
Kingen: Initially, I didn't quite believe it. Later, because miracles don't happen easily, I thought, could there be a miracle? We heard a lot about HLE being a "strong team detector." I think we lost to the so-called western teams several times for certain reasons, and that made the Play-In results inevitable. Looking back, our expectations of winning might have been too high. Perhaps we should have done better at that time, entered the matches with a better mindset, so if we lost, we would have the right to regret. Our strength at that time was not enough to win, so we were eliminated.
Q: On the contrary, if you had to choose the happiest moment, when would it be?
Kingen: In the playoffs of the 2023 Spring Split, we successfully defeated DK, which was our biggest victory until 2023, so the feeling at that moment was joyful. Then, because we couldn't achieve greater success, it felt more frustrating. Also, in the regular season of the Spring Split, stopping T1's winning streak brought joy.
Q: In 2022, DRX was considered a relatively weaker team from the Play-In stage but had a "miraculous journey," ultimately winning the League of Legends World Championship. On the contrary, in 2023, HLE, once known as a "super team," had a slightly disappointing performance. What do you think is the main difference between 2022 and 2023?
Kingen: Personally, I think the most significant difference is that in 2022, players lived together with the coaching staff, had meals together, and engaged in a lot of personal communication. They created many positive scenarios that had a good impact on the team, going beyond personal relationships. However, in 2023, players tend to emphasize individual performance more, and this change might be one of the reasons. Additionally, from a team perspective, the position itself is different, so as a team with high expectations, there might be some pressure. In the early stages of the Spring Split, the attitude might not have been humble enough, affecting things. We should have approached it with a learning mindset at that time, and it's a bit regrettable. In 2022, we were indeed in a very humble position, so (laughs) the matches went more smoothly with that attitude. I think there are differences in these aspects.
