On June 13, in the 2021 LCK Summer Split, kt Rolster upset DWG KIA with a clean 2-0 sweep. With the win, kt Rolster was able to make up for the loss in their first game against Nongshim RedForce. After the match, Kang “Blank” Sun-gu joined the media room to talk about the game.

Congratulations on today’s win. How do you feel?

I think we should have won our first match against Nongshim RedForce. It was such a close game and there was a lot of feedback after that match, and we fixed a lot of things. That worked out well today. I feel good that my performance was alright.

How is the summer kt Rolster different from spring?

The biggest difference for me is that I’m able to lead the plays more, and I could set the directions for the team. That’s very satisfying for me.

You had been sent down to the Challengers, and you’re back now.

Actually, I’ve seldom cried ever since I became pro, but when I heard that I was being sent down, I cried a lot. But through that time, I was able to be more determined.

Your head coach Hirai said that he really felt bad when he sent you down.

If he didn’t do that, I don’t know if I would have been able to improve my performance this much. That situation made me more solid.

How is it playing on an offline stage again?

I was pretty nervous on the day before the match, but when I put on my headset, I forgot about all of that and was able to focus fully on the match.

The lineup was changed for kt Rolster. Harp started at support. How did the team make that choice?

We’ve been practicing that way, so we thought things could change any time. It wasn’t that much different for us.

Your next match is against another favorite, Gen.G. You would be confident since you beat DWG KIA, but Gen.G would be different. How do you think it’ll go?

I’m looking out for Clid. His ganks are very sharp. I need to keep that in mind and deal with what he puts up.

It seems that you’ve regained your confidence a lot. If when you won Worlds was your prime, do you think you’re back near that level?

Actually, I think myself from back then and now are quite different. I was in a strong team, and the older players led me. Even if I didn’t take charge and lead the situation, things worked out the way it’s supposed to be. Here at KT now, there are many rookies. I was the youngest player back then, and now I’m the oldest. I need to lead the kids.

You’ve also played in the LJL. In the recent MSI, DetonatioN FocusMe did quite well. How did it feel watching them?

All the LJL teams have improved a lot. The imports are good and the teams invested a lot, so there are a lot of good players and coaches as well. I think they’ll become much more competitive in the future.

Any last comments you’d like to share?

The LCK is back at LoL Park after having to play online for a long time. When I looked up, there were a lot of fans that came here and they were cheering a lot. I’m really thankful to the fans. We’re only here because there are fans. Please cheer for us and look forward to our plays. Thank you.