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Osaka27140 Posts
*Photo credit to uhjoo
On Sunday night I got online and had a chat with GO team member and WCG Korea representative ForU. The following is the majority of our interview, in which I tried to cover various topics but only asked half of what I wanted. I have too much curiosity I guess  Anyways, I�m no mensrea, but I did my best and here you go.
Also, before I say anything, a HUGE thanks goes out to uhjoo, who took a lot of time out of his busy day to translate the entire interview for me. His skills gave both my words and the words of ForU the meanings and eloquence we desired.
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Manifesto7: Hi there, I am Manifesto7 from teamliquid.net. Thanks for setting aside the time to speak to me.
ForU: hihi
Manifesto7: To start out, can we get your name and age?
ForU: Lee Jae Hoon, born in 1981.
Manifesto7: You used to use the name ProGuns, but then you switched to ForU, can you tell me why?
ForU: I used to be in Pro clan, but then everyone had to go to the army, so I joined ddak clan. Afterwards, I chose ForU, because it was a neat, cute name.
Manifesto7: So you recently went to San Francisco to participate in the WCG finals. What were your impressions of the trip?
ForU: This was my first trip abroad, so it was interesting. Maybe because there were not so many people in San Francisco, the transportation system was good, so I was envious. I also liked the buildings around city hall [where the venue was] as well as the beach. There were also a lot of Asians around, so I didn�t feel as uncomfortable as I thought I would.
Manifesto7: How do you feel about your play at the tournament? What difficulties did you come across?
ForU: I felt less pressure because all the Korean players were from my team, so I was too relaxed. I didn�t prepare enough though, so I did not play so well in the round of eight and my games were not so good.
Manifesto7: In the round of 16, you played rs.Testie and beat him 2-1. What were your impressions of his play?
ForU: I think he played well. However, he did not make the plays that would have secured victory.
Manifesto7: So after experiencing the play of non-Koreans at WCG, what are the biggest differences between their games and the Korean games?
ForU: I think there is a big difference in control. Also, foreigners seem to play according to the overall flow of the game. Koreans tend instead to go for an aggressive strategy to win, like an all-in rush. Also, they are better at changing the flow and tempo of the game instead of going with it. They can force the play better than non-koreans by changing their styles, which helps control the game.
Manifesto7: When Xellos won, did he at least take you out for dinner?
ForU: No t.t, but I told him to buy something once the money gets deposited. I don�t know what yet.
Manifesto7: Well, all three Korean WCG representatives qualified from the GO team. Was this a deliberate attempt, or how did this come about?
ForU: During the preliminaries, our team was in the process of changing sponsors, so all of us were very motivated to practice and do very well. I think that is why we all qualified.
Manifesto7: Well, qualifying for WCG in Korea has to be much harder that actually winning the event. What did you think of the abuse that went on during the ladder process? (For details about this click here)
ForU: The abuse was inevitable due to the system they used to select the qualifiers, and because there are so many people in Korea that play StarCraft. The system really needs to be changed.
Manifesto7: How would you change the system?
ForU: Hmmm� I think that the top 128 (at least) should be decided on-line, but that the final tournament should be off-line. But I also felt a real sense of accomplishment when I qualified for WCG. I knew there would be many gosu�s there like Testie, Mondragon, and Fisheye that I wish I could have played more.
Manifesto7: It sounds like you at least know the major players of the foreign Brood War scene, how much exposure do you have to that side of SC?
ForU: I know the Nal_Testie id. I don�t know much about non-Koreans, but I practice with PJ on occasion and he is really good. I have also seen replays of Mondragon and he has some skill as well. Also, Frederick [Fisheye] looked very good in his round of 16 matches.
Manifesto7: Yes, it is too bad pj couldn�t make it. It would have been nice to meet him in person.
ForU: yes t.t
Manifesto7: So now to the most important tournaments, what do you think of your play this season in OGN, and what about your upcoming game against Cloud?
ForU: I have not played my own game lately, especially in pvt for various reasons. I will play Jae Wook [Cloud�s first name] tomorrow, and I think there I will re-establish my game.
Manifesto7: Well the pvt matchup is how many people outside of Korea got to know you. Specifically, it was your game against Nada on River of Flames that attracted attention. [Find that game here] Although you lost the game, everyone was saying �who was that guy who made all the gates vs NaDa?� Can I get your impressions of that game?
ForU: I have many regrets about that game. I was unable to properly guard my seven o�clock expansion, and I did not scout his three o�clock expansion fast enough. I made so many gateways because I wanted to ensure my victory. Unfortunately, it instead affected my chance to win, and I have regrets about that.
Manifesto7: So who do you practice with when you have an important game coming up, and what things do you focus on?
ForU: I practice mainly with Xellos, ipxzerg, Iris[gm]� and also JulyZerg. In the past, for important games I tried to focus on preparing my mental state, but now I think just pure practice is more important.
Manifesto7: So who plays you the hardest in each match-up?
ForU: Midas (Ddang) is very hard for terran, but he gets mad when he loses practice games so I don�t practice with him much. For zerg, I don�t know, no real problem player, but they are tough. For protoss Nal_Ra is very tough.
Manifesto7: As a protoss player, many people say you are at a disadvantage many times with the maps being used. Also, many protoss players are now using very risky strategies to win their games, recent examples are like Nal_Ra�s manner pylons and Reach�s proxy gates. Do you think that this is a good idea to try the �all or nothing strategy�?
ForU: Hmm, if it works I think it is fine, but long-term this style cannot work. Nal_Ra is an exception, because he thinks of all the possible scenarios, so he is a very special player.
Manifesto7: You strike me as someone who has a mind for the game, who else has a good mental understanding of StarCraft?
ForU: In the past my hand-speed was faster, but as I got older I got slower. My strategy also has many shortcomings that I need to fix. As for others� GoRush is very smart. He has a good psychological understanding, and he can analyze his opponent�s weaknesses very well.
Manifesto7: You said you are getting slower, and everyone knows StarCraft is a young person�s game. How much longer do you think you will be a progamer?
ForU: Well, my hands aren�t as fast as before, but I am still not slow in comparison to some other gamers. I know also that it is more important to analyze your opponent than to just be fast. I will play until I have to go into the army.
Manifesto7: When is that going to be?
ForU: It is hard to say, maybe 3-5 years, but if conditions are bad maybe 2 years. I really don�t want to go t.t
Manifesto7: It�s ok, move to Canada and stay at my house
ForU: I wish t.t
Manifesto7: In your Challenge League group, Niza qualified 2-0. He is someone who disappeared from progaming for a while, and has now made a comeback, which is pretty rare. I have always thought that he played a very similar style to your teammate ipxzerg. Can you give me the impressions of his play?
ForU: Both of those players play with the idea of damaging their opponent early, and then expanding with the advantage. About the comeback, it is hard to know the details or his personal circumstances, but he put in a lot of hard work, and the Dual League is his reward.
Manifesto7: So for those people who read this and want to join a pro team, tell them a little about your lifestyle.
ForU: From the outside, it doesn�t appear that the lifestyle is so busy because sometimes we don�t play in the leagues a lot. But, once you are on a team, you are not only practicing for yourself anymore. You also have to practice with your teammates so you have very little personal time.
Manifesto7: Can you tell me a little bit about your family? Any brothers or sisters?
ForU: I have both parents, and I have an older brother as well.
Manifesto7: What do they think about your job as a progamer?
ForU: They were kind of against it at first, before progaming was more established. They believed in it more when they first saw me on TV, and now they don�t mind it. When I get asked for a signature I think they secretly like it now.
Manifesto7: Do you get a lot of public attention when you go out?
ForU: Only really when I am at a game site. [PC Bangs and the Studio]
Manifesto7: So other than Brood War, what else do you like to do?
ForU: I like Rock music, and going to concerts. The bands I like are Muse, Slipknot, Gn�t. I also like to play Need for Speed and watching movies.
Manifesto7: Nice taste . What was the last concert you went to?
ForU: The last one was Limp Bizkit� actually Incubus was the last one. SlipKnot is coming next month and I am so excited `.`
Manifesto7: So what does the future hold for ForU?
ForU: I don�t really like to think long term. I have missed many opportunities in StarCraft, but I want to correct them by becoming #1 protoss.
Manifesto7: I have no doubt you will . Thank you so much for your time, and good luck tomorrow against Cloud.
ForU: Thank you `.`
I have a very good impression of ForU after this interview. He took his time to answer my questions, and although I took up over an hour of his time, he had no problem with that, even though he had a Challenge League bo3 the next day. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writting it.
Cheers 
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Sweden1225 Posts
seems like a down to earth cool guy! go foru
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Norway28630 Posts
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really nice interview
thx uhjoo for the translation work
foru seems like a really nice guy taking that much time for an interview a day before an ogn appearance
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Korea (South)1740 Posts
i just wanted to add that this interview wouldn't have been possible without the assistance of the G.O. team coach, cho kyu-nam. coolest guy ever ^^;;
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Great interview mani :D I love yoU~
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Wow Mani a really great interview. ForU was the most open korean at WCG. He understands a bit english and really is a nice guy!!
GL ForU and thx to all who made this interview possible!!
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Belgium8305 Posts
wow, thanks mani and uhjoo, very good interview
ForU likes Muse!
Yay for him! :D
He seems like a really cool guy, I wish him gl in his future games :O
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yah
nice interview
he did answer the questions
was not like xellos...yes......no.....
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very nice interview. ForU for president.
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Btw when is his game vs Cloud and will anybody watch it and report ????
GL ForU !!
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yeah ForU seems really cool.
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Great interview! goodjob uhjoo with the translation, also can anyone provide a link to that game on river of flames? i want to see that replay
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Very cool. Nice job uhjoo and Manifesto
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he actually shows interest when being interviewed unlike xellos "yes,no,ok,think so", very mannered and nice guy, new respect for U
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On October 18 2004 15:56 TH-GP wrote:
he actually shows interest when being interviewed unlike xellos "yes,no,ok,think so", very mannered and nice guy, new respect for U
ya same , hes gm
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Sweden33719 Posts
Wow he sounds really nice :O
And haha I seriously laughed that that 'ddang gets mad when he loses practice games' comment :D
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all koreans know mondragon ~~ so cool ^.^v
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Canada5062 Posts
Wow, that was a great interview. I really enjoyed it. Thx Mani.
And forU will always have a special place in my heart. If there is one player right now whom I'd like to see go all the way to the top, it's him.
"Midas (Ddang) is very hard for terran, but he gets mad when he loses practice games so I don’t practice with him much."
hahaha
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Rofl slipknot.
Ah cham na, he must have hard some hard times or something. I swear that music is trash when you listen to it the first few times but it's pure art once you are angry.
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really nice interview with relevant questions, good job!
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Nice job... out of curiosity did the long interview effect his play later? How did he do in the Bo3?
It is amazing how much cool stuff the Tl.net admins get for us.
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Nice interview!
ForU seems pretty laid back, and I especially love that HOOTERS sign above his head in the picture!
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Wow nice !
About 47 nice and 12 wow already so far in this tread... but it deserve it
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very nice job to everyone who made this awesome interview possible. Never would have guessed that he's a slipknot fan! Starting to see a lot more of these interviews lately... perhaps the koreans are beginning to become more aware that there is a starcraft community outside of korea.
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I have not seen a good interview in a while. GJ!
Good questions, great answers! Only thing I can critic is the flow of the questions :O Other than that it was superb man. Give yourself a pat on the back.
If only there could be more interviews like these.
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great interview thanks
I hope GO gets one of those great sponsors.
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Nice interview. Koreans are very manner and serious in interview v. non-kors. After reading it, I can sympathize with him when he says he has wasted many opportunities and wishes to change it. It gives me someone else to root for in liquibets.
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United Kingdom2674 Posts
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Awesome, one of the few good interviews. A lot of the times, the interviews don't answer any questions, but this was really good, and ForU gave some really good incite on things, rather than just saying stuff like "You need good skills." or something like that.
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United Kingdom10597 Posts
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yup great job. Real good interview.
ForU gave good answers and was real manner. Seems like a pretty cool guy.
Haha cute. Midas gets angry when he loses practice games =D....
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Great guy, he said that he always has lots of things to do and still spend an hour to give the interview
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that interview was 100x better than xellos one nicely done manifesto
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lol reading that interview made me sad i voted against him t.t
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forU rulz!!!
he alsolikes slipknot =D!!
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wow, super nice guy. who wants to start a foreign foru fanclub? 
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Nice interview! must say I enjoyed reading it..
and whats with that picture? his eyes look like he havent slept in years
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yeah forU is cool, unlike proud xellos t.t
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BW Interviews are getting better lately. I especially like hearing a little more about what the pro gamers think about ways of playing SC and what they think of their profession:O
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On October 18 2004 15:56 TH-GP wrote:
he actually shows interest when being interviewed unlike xellos "yes,no,ok,think so", very mannered and nice guy, new respect for U
Xellos does the exactly same thing on his korean interviews...
It doesn't mean he's bm nor he's not a cool guy.
It's just his characteristic.
I guess you guys understand that  .
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"Gn't" might be a typo for Gn'R
I cant think of a band named or abbreviated as "Gn't"
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Korea (South)1740 Posts
another vote on xellos' behalf... in my experience, he was actually the most outgoing of the three korean wcg representatives-- they're all real quiet, soft-spoken guys but xellos is a really sociable, fun guy... he's pretty hilarious in his korean interviews as well. i also think the interview with xellos at wcg, he got caught off-guard. but i'd like to say that any image of him as arrogant/high on himself is completely misguided... maybe we can arrange a second interview with xellos when he gets a bit less busy. 
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MURICA15980 Posts
Foru just scored a point in my book. He sounds like a cool guy. :D
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that was great interview~~~!
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Really a nice interview, thanks Manifesto7 
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Osaka27140 Posts
Please don't misunderstand Xellos. When I talked to him, he was kind of unprepared. It was very informal and spur of the moment, as well he had to talk through a translator to me in person. Lastly, he had just finished winning WCG, and was extremely tired. I am just glad he spared a few moments for me.
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On October 18 2004 18:41 LetMeBeWithYou wrote:
Nice interview! must say I enjoyed reading it..
and whats with that picture? his eyes look like he havent slept in years
It's called jet lag.
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Nice job. Wish ForU advantage to next OSL
GL ForU!!
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Baltimore, USA22251 Posts
Many props to Mani, and especially uhjoo, good job guys.
Love to ForU!
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thanks to mani and uhjoo for this cool interview. I cant wait for the Xellos second interview ^^
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Very nice, really tok his time with this one
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why not interview nal.ra????
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nice interview
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forU is a nice guy and listens to Muse and Slipknot ... I might have to put him in front of Nal_rA in my "best toss" ranking :D
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I had seen Foru in a couple of small interviews done in korean TV but after this interview, he is one of my fav toss, just cause he seems to be such a nice guy. I really hope the "Terran Killer" times come back, when he was considered among the best 3 toss of the time(i think the other 2 where reach and zeus). About xellos.....i've seen him being interviewed in TV and i dont think that his "yes, no, maybe,uhm, dunno" answers r due to lack of interest or sthg like that. I dont remember when exactly it was, but there where mini-interviewing a lot of pros, and even shy ppl like Nada answered with reasonable long sentences like: i know i didnt do my best in the last season but to compensate that ill show my best, bla bla bla... Zeus just bragged out how he will turn down Yellow's hopes in that league, etc. But when it came the turn for xellos to talk, the 1 minute answer given by other pros, was reduced to: Ill do my best, thanks(vow and semi-smile). The only time ive seen this guy give answers with more than 10 words was in the special they did before the Pro-league final. So dont take Xellos simpleness as sthg personal ^^
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Plz interview Zeus. Even if he is not hot right now, im sure he can give us some laughs.
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interesting he seems very nice and has a lot of experience. I think it's always more interesting to interview the oldschoolers coz they have a broader view of the scene and the game.
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Great job with the interview Mani, and many thanks Uhjoo for all the translation help. You guys rock
So nice of ForU to give up some of his free time for this
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Also, foreigners seem to play according to the overall flow of the game. Koreans tend instead to go for an aggressive strategy to win, like an all-in rush. Also, they are better at changing the flow and tempo of the game instead of going with it. They can force the play better than non-koreans by changing their styles, which helps control the game.
My God, is this game really so deep???
Nal_Ra and NaDa are nice too. And very nice interview.
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51425 Posts
gw mani do a damn zerg interview now!
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Great interview, thx
Also, foreigners seem to play according to the overall flow of the game. Koreans tend instead to go for an aggressive strategy to win, like an all-in rush. Also, they are better at changing the flow and tempo of the game instead of going with it. They can force the play better than non-koreans by changing their styles, which helps control the game.
Wow, that was one of the most interesting views on sc Ive ever read, I am gonna go and analyze that now :D
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i am for u.hehe foru likes muse this is great.his playing style is awesome too.
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Great interview Mani! Something hard to find at any other SC sites
ForU is a really nice guy
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I like that things he said about other gamers. He seems like a very nice guy.
GJ Manifesto.
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On October 19 2004 00:34 thelucas wrote:
Also, foreigners seem to play according to the overall flow of the game. Koreans tend instead to go for an aggressive strategy to win, like an all-in rush. Also, they are better at changing the flow and tempo of the game instead of going with it. They can force the play better than non-koreans by changing their styles, which helps control the game.
My God, is this game really so deep???
Nal_Ra and NaDa are nice too. And very nice interview.
I guess ForU is referring to the different Occidental-Korean tendencies. Some time ago i heard this interesting point that the OGN chubby guy gave about the korean "aggresiveness" and what he saw of general gamers outside korea. He said that non-koreans, when they gain an advantage(tvp-toss made a mistake and lost 2 first harassing goons, won center battle, successful drop with a lot of "casualties",whatever kind of advantage) tend to expo to gain a higher eco advantage but koreans, when they have done some damage, they keep attacking, trying to finish off the opponent and not giving him any chance of recovering.
I think that even every playstyle depends on each player, theres some generic standards, and i think he is right. Maybe thats why korean micro developed so much so better than macro, theyll try to finish off the game quickly, even if they have few units.
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I guess its easier to just expo when you have done something good. It takes skill to know how many units are needed for the final kill. I think this was quite evident in yellows wgtour rush.
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Germany / USA16648 Posts
mani for president 
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forU is so cool guy
love ya
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Yeah I like the interview too. Nice one Mani as usual. Does he understand english well? He listens to slipknot, limp bizkit and the like.....
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very nice stuff and thanks to all those involved
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Good job on the interview. Any 1 who likes Muse has got to be a cool dude o_O~
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he doesnt strike me as a slipknot fan lol
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This was really a great job by both Mani and ForU The part about midas being pissed off when he loses practise games is bittersweet though.
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HE LIKES INCUBUS? HE IS MY NEW FAVORITE PLAYER! :D
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GoSu interview GOOD JOB MANIFEST xD
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He's nice
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On October 18 2004 15:32 Kacas wrote:
yah
nice interview
he did answer the questions
was not like xellos...yes......no.....
thats because xellos was live in person, they had to either write down fragments of sentances, or main facts.
basic reporter fighting!!
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Nice intw, ForU seems nice, but what's up with koreans and their needs for cuteness and neatness. Nada is extreme.
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he really seems nice ;p gj!
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I love you uhjoo
I love you mani
thanks for kicking ass ^_^
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Very good interview.In fact i think this is the best i`ve read with Korean player.Keep the good work mani . And my vote for next interview goes to GoRush
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the fact that he likes slipknot and is asian makes him cool in my handbook.
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suffeli
Finland772 Posts
Nice interview!
Did anyone notice the "Hooters" sign behind Mr. ForU? :-)
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Very good interview. Nice fOru! ^^
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Wow, nice guy that ForU. He could listen to some better music thou...
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Gj mani, forU is a cool guy, i think he is a bit older than the average progamer, maybe that's why he's cooler.
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On October 21 2004 04:23 suffeli wrote:
Nice interview!
Did anyone notice the "Hooters" sign behind Mr. ForU? :-)
yup =]
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Mani, uhjoo, uhjoo's gf, ForU, Xellos, and everybody else who helped create these interviews...
... you guys fucking rock!
Much <3
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nice convo, good work.
NOTE: He is standing infront of a sign "hooters Sanfransisco"
....lol
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nice interview. he seems to be very nice and opened to interviewers -> sympathic
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EPT![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Manifesto7/forU_edit_pic.jpg)
