[Interview] 2012 GSL S2 CodeA R2 Day 1 Winners

You’ve now advanced to Code A Round 3. Is Code S in your sights?

You can never tell before the games have been played. It must seem like I won easily today but the preparation was gruelling.

You massed ultralisks in Set 1.

I was in a fantastic spot. It’s not a unit I use often but I win like this often on the ladder.

In Set 2, you massed roaches and lings.

It was more a pressure than all in. But it must have seemed like too much to be just pressure (laugh). The strategy was possible because of droning hard early game. Also, the lowering of the depot made it considerably easier for me. There was luck involved.

You take on Genius in Round 3.

I’ll have to win (laugh). Protoss is doing well right now but I am confident. My opponent happens to be a Code S finalist but we’re both in Code A Round 3 so we’re in the same situation. I’m not intimidated.

There’s no GSTL on so you must be rather bored.

It’s great since I get to eat lots of tasty stuff every day. I eat two bowls of rice and sometimes cook 4 Ramens and share 2 each with the coach. Even yesterday, I had Spaghetti Ramen after a meal. I get rid of stress from playing Starcraft by eating and it’s great. However, I also exercise a lot so it’s okay. Sprinkling cheese on Ramen is delish.

Soon GSTL will begin. You must be excited.

I get excited about every tournament. Sure, it’s a chance to make money but aside from that, I just get in a good mood and become enthusiastic.

Have you gotten over the shock of being eliminated from Code S ro32?

Not quite yet. I’m not the type to forget easily. Still, I’m happy about my current win.

Anything to add?

I want to thank my sponsors. My friend send me rasin tree and red ginseng and they have given me a ton of energy. Ah, I’m also thinking about feasting tonight. The coach promised to buy me chicken so I hope he keeps his promise.

Your thoughts on advancing to Code A Round 3?

I’m so happy since it’s my first time. I wasn’t expecting to win today so I’m happy about the hard earned win.

Why were you not expecting to win?

I couldn’t practise enough since I was short on time. On top, I've been playing a lot of ZvZs and ZvTs so I was worried about today.

All the games today were very close

My opponents were very good and I wasn’t able to come up with fleshed out builds. I improvised on the spot and this led to long drawn out games.

You made use of overlord drops in Set 3.

I didn’t come up with it myself instead it was given to me by Hyun. I was having a hard time with a not so great win rate and he came to me with advice.

You took second place at Iron Squid.

Frankly, I wasn’t too thrilled. Second place was not my goal. Still, it was alright since everyone praised me for a good performance.

You still took down a fair number of very difficult opponents

I felt I stood a great chance against MMA but made too many mistakes. I regret that a lot.

Wasn’t it a great experience playing on a major stage?

That aspect makes me happy and feel really lucky. There were so many people and this experience will be a great help in my professional career. I have a lot more confidence now.

You must want Code S even more now

I worried a lot about today’s match but now that I’ve won, I am with newly found confidence. I felt that my fundamentals were solid. I will do better from now on.

You meet either Jjakji or JYP

Since I’ve played so many ZvTs lately, I hope it’s Jjakji. JYP has a strong PvZ too which makes ZvT even more appealing.

Anything to add?

Today is Parents’ Day so I keep thinking about my parents. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone back home. My parents have always supported my progaming career so I am very grateful. I also want to thank the coach and Inori and Hyun who helped with practice.

How do you feel advancing to Round 3 after a hard fought battle?

My opponent was well prepared. After Set 1, I realised that it would be a difficult match. Luckily, Sets 2 and 3 went rather well for me. I will prepare even harder for the next match so that I can show better games.

You got back from France just yesterday. Are you not tired?

The French tournament treated us quite well so I’m not that tired. I was just a little bit worried about the shortage of sleep. I thought it was a 6 o’clock match but turned out to be 1 o’clock. I slept only for a very short while and got ready for the match.

You took fourth at Iron Squid. How is it?

Since so many great players entered this tournament, I have no regrets. There were no walkover losses either. I was lacking in practice so fourth place is satisfactory.

All your matches were long. It must’ve been hard to concentrate throughout.

I made too many mistakes in the matches. It was due to the lack of practice. Still I will rest my mind with today’s victory. I’ll just work harder for future matches.

Your next opponent is Leenock

I’ve played a few games against Leenock. Both officially and casually. He’s such a great ZvTer that I’m worried. I hope the maps are in my favour but overall, whoever prepares better should win.

Fnatic is set to participate in GSTL

I’m both excited and concerned. We get to participate in such a great league but the thought of doing badly worries me. We will have to work hard. We shouldn’t have any regrets about not working hard enough once the league is over.

Oz is joining your team

So far, I have been in charge of taking care of the Korean players on the team. However, since Oz is great at this role, I think I’ll just assist him from now on. He’s a hard worker so as long as our team keeps up, it’ll be great for all involved.

Anything to add?

I want to thank the sponsors: Raidcall, MSi, SteelSeries, Eizo. I want to thank Reis who translated for Nestea, MVP and Symbol in France (T/N: two things: the interview defs says MVP but is most likely MMA since MVP did not go to the finals for Iron Squid. Not sure how they mixed that up since the Korean names aren't all that similar. Secondly, aLive may have been thanking the players + Reis but it's too ambiguous to tell definitively. Who cares) . I will show better games from now on so I ask that you continue to support me. Also, today is Parents’ Day so I am glad that I was able to give my victory to my parents as a gift. I will work hard to be an even better son.

You have reached Code A Round 3. This is your second time in Round 3 in a row after last season.

I made many mistakes today and my unstable ZvZ was a cause for concern so it’s a relief that I won.

Curious is a strong player but you took him down easily with a score of 2:0

Curious has played many ZvZs so I studied his VODs well. He’s a great player but I found out that his play hinges on early game aggression and he often wins after his opponent makes a mistake. So I entered the match with confidence.

Your hydralisk switch and your composition in general was well timed out

I’ve played consistently on the ladder. Hydralisks need to be added in after establishing a good economy. They are expensive and difficult to utilise. Since I got into a good spot from the get go, I used them actively.

You take on either Bomber or Zenio in Round 3.

I made so many mistakes in ZvZ today. I think a ZvT may be preferable. My ZvZ just doesn’t work nowadays. I can’t do it anymore (laugh).

You lost in Round 3 last season and fell from the Up and Downs also.

Luck seems to be on my side this season. The problem is my confidence. As long as I am confident, I can make Code S.

You must be sick of UnD (T/N: UnD = Up and Downs from now on).

Advancing straight into Code S is better. UnD isn’t so bad but I wouldn’t say no to going straight into Code S.

This is your fourth time in Code A.

I am peaking. My games are turning out well and I have confidence too. ZvZ is just weird (laugh). I hope I get to avoid Zergs in the future. Since there is so few in the league, it should be fine.

Anything to add?

I want to thank oGsJookto and TSLShine for practice. I want to thank the coach, my father and Kang Bum ‘hyung’. I also want to thank Seoul DigiTech who support progaming. I want to say thanks to the sponsor Razer and our partner MYM. Lastly, I want to thank my parents for raising and say that I love them.

Code S is now within your reach

To be honest, after the ZvZ in Round 1, I’ve been sure about returning to Code S. Rest of the matches are vT or vP so I got this.

Your opponent was Ace. The match turned out to be closer than initially thought

The score must make it look closer than it was. Even the strategy in Set 2 is one I’ve encountered in practice but I lost due to a mistake in control. My attack command was misplaced.

You showed off a DongRaeGu (T/N: DRG's hometown after which he is named) badge today

The feeling is something else. Before attaching it, I dismissed it thinking that it’s only a badge but now that I have it on, pride wells up inside. I feel that I should work my hardest to uphold the honour of DongRaeGu.

You should act more conservatively too

That’s right. I shouldn’t muddy up the name of Dong Rage Gu, right? (laugh)

What is the reaction from your friends and family?

I never asked and they haven’t said anything. They should have heard the news though.

If DongRaeGu were to invite you for a local event?

I should go? (laugh) If the event is suitable for a progamer to attend, of course I’ll attend.

Your next opponent is Virus.

I used to think that he’s not much of a threat but nowadays, he’s been scary. Then again, my ZvT is good so I’m confident.

Soon GSTL, the home of DRG, will begin

I am filled with half concern, half excitement. I am team captain and the ace player so losing as the last player has a huge impact. Then again, winning feels great. Even now, being the last player is difficult for me. Once we begin, I will work hard.

Recently, MVP established an LoL team

It's great news. It’s another way to promote the team. I’ve played against them a few times and they are really good. I expect them to post some great results under the MVP banner.

You attended last week’s Starcraft 2 Vision meeting. How do you feel about it?

I wish people would stop distinguishing between Starcraft 1 and 2 so much. I hope the fans get to have fun. I am excited about playing with the Starcraft 1 gamers too. Stop discriminating and let’s work towards that win-win scenario.

Anything to add?

I want to thank Finale for helping me with practice. I also want to thank the coach, his family, and my girlfriend who cheered me on. Today is Parents’ Day and I’m sorry that I am unable to see them often. I will work hard to be a better son and I want to say that I love them.

You advance to Code A Round 3. How do you feel?

Not great. I’m not happy at all about being in Code A. I expected to win 2:0 no matter what but made a huge mistake in Set 2.

Your opponent was JYP whose biggest weakness is PvT

All Protosses are about the same on Battle.net. I pushed the thought that he’s bad at PvT out of my mind and practised hard.

You were hit pretty hard in Set 2, did that have a lasting impact?

I thought to myself: “what, how is my build not working?” and then saw some marines idling at the ramp. Then I defended against the colossus which was a huge feat in itself. So after that, I consoled myself thinking that I did all I could in the situation.

You seem to have lost momentum after your championship

Honestly, I was under a lot of pressure until last season. However, now I can’t even remember winning the championship. So, now I am able to prepare better and in a more comfortable manner. Losing all of the pressure has definitely made me feel better and I will do better next season.

Still, having reached the top, you must want to return.

Luck was on my side when I won my first championship. Now, I want to win it with skill alone.

Your opponent for Round 3 is Symbol

I saw his games in the morning and he’s looking good. His style is peculiar too so it will be hard to prepare for him. However, I am confident about my TvZ so I won’t lose.

Soon the GSTL begins

Starting today, we enter a pre-planned system for GSTL. I was absent because of my match today and the other team members began practice without me. I plan to return promptly and practise. We are not ready as a team for GSTL so we should practise a lot.

Anything to add?

I want to thank Tear, Hero, Tassadar, Sage and San for practising with me. Since it’s Parents’ Day, I thought about writing “I love you, mum and dad” on my phone and showing it but I’m too embarrassed. I want to take this opportunity to say that I love them.

You seem to be having an easy time in Code A

I actually thought I could make it from UnD so I entered the match comfortably. Now that I’m in Round 3 with UnD to fall back on, I am confident about returning to Code S.

Why do you rely on the thought of UnD?

Bo1s suit me better. UnD games turn out well for me. I’ve done well in every UnD so far. This is not to say that I don’t want to get straight into Code S. I will practise hard but my mind is at ease.

Protoss looks strong lately, what do you think?

Actually, until just a few days ago, I thought it was fine. However, during practice against Tear, I had an incredulous win rate. It was something like 20%. This was the first time I thought Protoss was OP. Of course, Tear is a great player too.

Was the gruelling practice helpful?

I’m thankful that my opponent relied on strategic builds (T/N: i.e cheese). I thought macro games would be difficult and was planning to all-in myself but he came at me first so I calmly defended.

You take on July in Round 3

I’m having trouble with TvP at the moment but TvZ is fine. More than anything, I feel at ease nowadays so I’m confident. I’ve lost to July a lot in practice. I’ve lost to builds that I thought were defensible. I will have to practise a lot.

Soon GSTL begins

I really need to step it up this time. I think I inconvenienced my team way too much last season. I lost my confidence after ro4 so I wasn’t able to perform in GSTL. Also, Oz left our team but now Tear is on fire so we expect a lot from him. We also expect Ahn, Joon Woo (T/N: may be a typo of FXOWhale's name Ahn Joon Hwa) and Tree to do well.

What about Choya?

He’s definitely better compared to before. He’ll take out at least one player if he’s sent out. Before, whenever he tried to send himself out, I got an urge to talk him out of it. It used to be overconfidence but now that confidence is a great thing to see.

Anything to add?

Since it’s Parents’ day, I want to say thank you to my parents. I also want to thank my grandparents. I also want to thank Choya who always accompanies me to the studio and Seung Min ‘hyung’ who takes care of me at the training house. Please keep an eye out for FXOTear and lastly, I’m grateful to FXO’s sponsor Razer and FXOBoss.

You have reached Code A Round 3. How do you feel?

There’s still a way to before Code S. It’ll be difficult to get out UnD if I fall so I think I’ll just have to go for the straight road.

You looked good today.

Aside from a few mistakes, I’m happy overall.

In Set 1, you looked dominant right from the start. What’s the secret?

This match had a lot of psychological warfare behind it. I expected my opponent to counter the style I have shown in the past and re-countered that.

Set 2 dragged itself out for a bit

The game should have ended with the first strike but because of mismanagement of the battle, the game got dragged out.

As Curious lost in the morning match, you now avoid a teamkill

A teamkill is uncomfortable whether you win or lose so I’m sorry to Curious but I will go into Round 3 with a good mindset. To be perfectly honest, a match against Curious would’ve been difficult for me despite what I said in the previous interview. I lost to him more often in practice.

Bomber definitely isn’t meant for Code A. How will you feel in Code S next season?

At the moment, I have a good feeling. However, I want to say as little as possible. I’ve expressed my confidence in the past and failed to back it up.

GSTL begins soon. Are you excited?

GSTL is heaps of fun and I’m excited. A lot of foreign teams are participating too so it’s going to be even more fun. Foreign teams should not be taken lightly.

You face off against Sniper in Round 3.

He’s been rank 1 on the ladder recently and doing well in general. Curious is a fantastic ZvZ player so for him to win, I expect a difficult match ahead of me.

Today is Parents’ Day, did you call your father?

I am planning to call soon after this interview. I really want to thank my parents who hold back nothing in supporting me. I don’t usually call them which I am sorry for.

Anything to add?

I want to thank STKingKong and Hello. I also want to thank FXOLucky. I want to say thanks to the sponsors: BenQ, Zowie, ZowieGear, and Red Bull.