On the 3rd of June (KST), the 2019 LCK Summer Split Media Day was held in the Riot Korea headquarters. We met up with kt Rolster head coach, Oh "ZanDarC" Chang-jong who seemed more than determined to jump back in the Summer. 

KT has gone through quite a big change going into this split; they’ve signed PraY as their new bottom laner. “The team is in a positive atmosphere after PraY joined. Since we went through a difficult split, the players are more motivated than ever. We are preparing well. The players and I have set a clear goal.” said ZanDarC.

His goal was to make it to the Worlds. “My goals for this Summer has a few steps to take. First, we’ll have to make it to the playoffs. Then, we’ll have to make it to the finals. Ultimately, we’re aiming for the Worlds.”

According to ZanDarC, the team has improved a lot in scrims. “Although we haven’t faced every single team, we are doing pretty well compared to Spring. I can’t say we’ve improved significantly, but for sure we improved.”

ZanDarC seemed satisfied on PraY, who has made his comeback to the pro scene. “He says that he is worried. However, he’s a player with a lot of experience and he’s been performing well during his career. That’s why PraY is still a solid player. I sometimes even think to myself, ‘why is he even worried?’ This guy also has such a great personality. He’s doing great so far.”

On the question on PraY and SnowFlower’s teamwork, he answered, “They talk a lot with each other since they’re outgoing players. (laughs) Although they do have different opinions at times, their teamwork, in general, has nothing to worry about.”

He had some positive expectations on Smeb, who underperformed last split. “I know that some criticized him for his lack of practice. This time, he has been practicing a lot. This is the most I’ve seen ever since I’ve started to coach him. I think he has a clear goal now. That is what makes him put in more effort... we can expect something more from him.”

ZanDarC also shared his thoughts on this MSI. “The players and I thought that we should try out new things rather than sticking with the status quo. However, by doing this, we can lose our own style. It’s important to try out new things in our own way.”

To conclude the interview, he apologized to the fans. “I did not coach well in Spring. I'm responsible for the team's underperformance. I’ll try my best to show an improved version of KT. I’m sorry… and thank you for all your support. I’ve been motivated a lot. Now I feel more responsibility on my head coaching position.”