During the quiet off-season, some Korean players that had been active abroad returned to the LCK. Among the returning players, Song “Fly” Yong-jun was the most noticeable. While he is not a player that would be described as sensational, he is still someone who sparks curiosity within fans and audiences.

At first, he didn’t receive a very enthusiastic homecoming reception from fans, yet it didn’t seem to get to him. His experience in NA seemed to have changed him; he now approaches people differently, with a brighter and more mature attitude. Seeing this positive shift, fans may be expecting more from him in this upcoming Summer Split.

This notoriously eccentric player has joined Gen.G Esports, a team that prioritizes basics, hard work, and passion. It may seem like Fly doesn’t quite fit in to this team, but oddly enough, many fans have high expectations following his addition. What change will this extraordinary player bring to the team?

Q. You’ve returned to Korea after being in NA. Are you satisfied with your results?

If you want an honest answer, I would say ‘no’. I wasn’t able to get fully satisfying results. I felt that if I played in the Summer Split, I would be better, but I’m coming back without being able to show everything that I can do. You know, I hit 1st at solo queue.


Q. I think you might have some interesting stories because of your unique personality.

There’s not really any interesting stories. My teammates found it hard to get close to me since I like spending time alone. They said that it was difficult to even talk to me since I mostly spent time alone. So now I’m trying to talk more after joining Gen.G Esports.


Q. What do you normally do when you’re alone?

Before, I used to watch Crayon Shin-chan and Minecraft. Nowadays, I always practice. I also think about how I can enjoy my meals more. If I prepare my favorite food while watching Shin-chan, that makes me happy. Maybe that’s why I’ve gained so much weight. (Laughs)


Q. Originally, you didn’t want to go to NA. Do you think that was one of the reasons that you spent a lot of time alone?

Not really. My teammates were good guys. There’s this teammate, “Anda”. He was one of the hottest rookies. I feel sorry because I wasn’t able to deliver good results together.


Q. Did you think of your old teammates while you were in NA?

I thought of Score a few times. But he’s so old now. (Laughs) Just kidding. I think it’s more polite to speak of my current teammates. There could be people who don’t like it if I speak of my old teammates. I need to be careful not to cause gossip.

Q. The players in Korea talk about you a lot. Many say that you’re a really good player.

Why in the world are they saying that? I wonder too. (Laughs) Still, I’m very grateful that they say that.


Q. Unfortunately, many fans are still skeptical. Many fans think your playstyle is too monotonous.

I think there’s a misunderstanding there. But I shouldn’t say much since pro players need to speak through their performance. Those fans are hitting me with facts! (Laughs) Still, I’ve returned to Korea now. I hope that the fans won’t just criticize me, but instead believe in the potential of what I can do. I didn’t do bad on purpose, right? I really do my best, practicing till 4AM nowadays.


Q. Many are curious about how the synergy will be between the two mid laners. Some say that there’s not much difference.

I don’t really have any words to respond to that. I respect the fans’ reactions even if they’re bad. What you just said is quite right, so I can’t say anything in opposition. Still, you never know. Min-ho (Crown) will deliver awesome performance. As for me… Wait a bit and see.


Q. What do you think of people saying that you like champions that are not in the meta? You have said before that you’re good with normal everyday champions too.

I play all champions. There’s no champion that I’m significantly bad at, and I usually play the champions that I think are good in whichever situation. Like Karthus or Singed (Laughs). If I play those champions in solo queue, everybody really hates it.


Q. You forgot about champions like Ekko and Ahri.

I. Do. Not. Remember. Ekko. (Laughs) I can’t forget about Ahri though. But still, Ahri isn’t very good. I tend not to play her. I also remember losing with Ahri after I said that she was bad. I tried thinking of excuses, but nothing comes to mind. All I can say is, sorry about that.


Q. Also, many fans think of you as a player that has weak laning.

They’re free to say that. In my opinion, I’m not bad. Being really frank, I think I can beat anyone with the confidence I have now. And now the bashing will start. (Laughs)


Q. You also earned yourself the title: the roaming mid laner, although some call you the fleeing mid laner.

Nooo. Not fleeing. What are you talking about?! Good timing and vision are really important for roaming, and I’m really good at that. I won’t speak much about that; it’s one of my best weapons.

Q. You’ve joined Gen.G Esports. What change can you bring to the team?

I’ve been in many different teams now. There are many things that I’ve learned and experienced in those teams. Now is the time to use all of that to the fullest. I learned a lot in the US. I made a lot of improvements on my social skills.


Q. Were you happy to be reunited with GM Lee Ji-hoon? What did he say to you?

He asked why I was here. (Laughs) It’s our way of greeting each other. I also asked him why he was here. He’s really good to me and I like him a lot.


Q. We’re also curious about how you came to join Gen.G.

I was looking for a team early this year and several Korean teams contacted me. Originally, I wanted to become a starting member without worrying much, but I decided to join Gen.G because they were the most positive towards me. I have a good cost-performance rate you know. (Laughs)


Q. What’s something good about your new team?

I came into a complete team, so it’s convenient for me to adapt to the environment since I just have to get used to the atmosphere. When I joined Longzhu or Flyquest, the team was rebuilding so I didn’t really know what to do. Since Gen.G is a complete team like when I joined kt Rolster, I feel more comfortable.


Q. Who are you closest with?

I got close to everyone except Ambition. CuVee and Ruler especially like me. I’m becoming a brighter character now and Ambition is a big challenge for me. (Laughs) He has this trait that makes it harder to get closer to him. I’ll try to get closer over time.


Q. You’re known for your extraordinary character, but Gen.G Esports is a rather quiet team. Isn’t it too different from your personality?

Crown has a pretty extraordinary personality too. I like idol groups and bright songs, but he listens to extremely dark music. He likes drinking as well so I drank with him once because I wanted to know what he had in his head, but it’s hard to see. I’ll knock him down at the workshop once. Then I may be able to see. (Laughs) Ruler is just like PraY. They have a similar way of talking.


Q. People think that there could be some awkwardness between players in the same position. How is it?

It depends on how that person thinks. Some worry about being overwhelmed but I don’t really think much of that. Crown and I are both cool about it.


Q. How is it with the coaching staff?

I usually have a hard time with older people. Since I know coach Yeo “TrAce” Chang-dong from before, it’s alright, but I haven’t gotten closer to coach Ju “oDin” Yeong-dal yet. He seems to like me a lot. (Laughs) I haven’t had the chance to talk much to our head coach [Edgar] yet because he’s quite busy recently.

Q. Have you been keeping in touch with the Kingzone DragonX players after coming back to Korea?

I call GorillA or head coach Ssong from time to time and ask to meet up first. But usually we don’t actually get to meet up. I also contact Score quite often… Come to think of it, they don’t call me that often. As for Crash… Recently, he added me with a nickname I didn’t know so I said hi.


Q. One of the main attractions in LoL is the fight of pride between mid laners.

I’m on a good roll now. I’ve seen Bdd play really well recently, but I think I can beat him. I haven’t been beat up by him yet so I’ll be confident about that. (Laughs) I wonder why he’s not calling me yet. Maybe because he’s so popular now? I really used to look after him a lot before.


Q. There are many other rookie mid laners that have been delivering good performance too. How do you think you’ll play against them?

I don’t know what they think of me, but I have less to lose than they do. Those players gain attention and get good evaluations even if they’re rookies. As for me, I’m at rock bottom, and the only direction I can go is up. I’m confident.


Q. Come to think of it, you might be well-suited to the current meta.

It’s hard to explain, but the meta is really perfect for me. It’s not quite the ADC meta now. ADCs just pay back whatever was spent to have them scale, but the mid-jungle initiative is always really important. But why do you think something goes wrong wherever I go? I have some anxieties about that. When I was in kt Rolster, Aurelion Sol was banned globally so that was really regretful. When I was in FlyQuest, I had visa issues so I had to stay in Korea for a month. Well… Anything could happen. It’s in the past, so there’s nothing I can do now.


Q. The Chinese teams have been really good recently. You don’t have experience in international competitions. Don’t you want to try playing against them?

Do you think it’s alright for me to evaluate foreign teams? Well, first, I need to have good results in the regional league to ever play against them. I think if I just play the way I do now, I’ll be able to do quite well against them. I really want to win the championship in the LCK more than I want to win on an international stage. I think we can do it if I just do well.

Q. Then do you have a team or rival that you really want to beat?

There’s no player that I think of as a rival at mid lane. I’ll beat all of them. ME saying this could lead to another ‘Ahri incident’. (Laughs) There’s no specific team that I want to beat either. Whichever team I meet, I want to beat them in the most important situations. If the situation’s really important, it feels a lot more satisfying when we win.


Q. How do you think Gen.G Esports will be with ‘Fly’?

In my current state, we’ll be no.1. (Q. Many people say that your bottom duo is really good.) Our bottom duo doesn’t look back, so they always concentrate on hitting their opponents. I think that’s why people say that they’re good.


Q. This is a very important point in your career.

I hope our team holds on to me firmly. I think I’ll eventually improve if they do. I think I have talent for gaming. I mostly do well without trying much. No coaching staff ever said much of my behavior; I didn’t act out much either. But I think I’ll play a lot better if they drive me hard.


Q. Lastly, do you have anything left to say that you weren’t able to say during the interview?

I’ve already told you about my determination; I just hope all the fans cheer me on. Suddenly, my thoughts turn to Score. It seems that he’s been having a hard time recently. I hope he really does well in the upcoming split.