On day 37 of the 2021 LCK Summer split, DWG KIA defeated kt Rolster 2-0 and locked in their playoffs spot. Although the team’s performance looked shaky in recent days, they’ve looked very dominating against KT, and looked as if they were slowly on the road to becoming the DWG KIA that every team feared once again.

The top laner for DWG KIA, Kim “Khan” Dong-ha, joined the press room for a post-match interview.

Congratulations on the victory. How do you feel about going to the playoffs?

Oh we’re locked in now? I’m glad that we locked in our spot. I think that the playoff bracket is starting to look clearer, so I’m excited.

Compared to the dominating split that DWG KIA had in Spring, this split seems much tougher. From your perspective, when was the toughest moment during this split?

For me, every moment feels like an obstacle I have to overcome. That’s the mindset that I have every match, especially this split. I will say that the toughest moment in recent days definitely has to be the MSI finals.

You had a very rough early game in this series. 

Even though I was struggling early, our bot lane has been looking better each day. In tonight’s match, I think they played very well, and moving forward, fans can look to see a better version of themselves each match.

Did you expect KT to focus on the top lane?

I did expect it, but I made mistakes in the process of absorbing their focus, so next time, I’ll have to play better.

The former coach for T1, Yang “Daeny” Dae-in rejoined DWG KIA as an analyst coach. Although your teammates have experience working with him, this is the first time for you. Can you tell us about your experience?

I was very surprised by his ability to analyze the meta. He understands the meta quickly, and knows what to do to thrive in the meta. Daeny was with the rest of my teammates last year, so he had no problem meshing into the team. From the strategic side of things, I think we’ll be able to improve very quickly. He generally talks to all of us about the team’s direction, and in that process, we’re able to find what we need to do individually.

Because of the arduous schedule that the team has undergone since the end of last year, fans are worried about burnout. Recently, ShowMaker said in an interview that he was burnt out after MSI. 

As a pro, I think there’s no room to feel tired. You can definitely get burnt out, but a part of our job description includes overcoming such fatigue. Even among pros, I think ShowMaker’s very professional, so he’s always thinking about how he can get better. There’s no need to worry.

Although Worlds is still a bit far in the future, are there any foreign pros/teams that you want to face on the international stage?

From my experience, there’s a huge difference between just watching how they play vs playing against them. It’s hard to evaluate a player based on just watching their games. For example, how teams/players played felt very different during MSI when we actually got to play against them.

If I had to choose some top laners/teams though, I think top laners like ‘TheShy’ and ‘Flandre’ of the LPL are great; in terms of teams, I think Misfits of the LEC are playing pretty well right now, and have clear direction that they’re heading towards as a team.

That being said, I’m still not quite sure. I think every team that are contenders for Worlds are great, so I think that we have to make sure that we’re good enough to beat everyone.

Lastly, is there anything you’d like to say?

We’ve had our bumps this split; as we near the end of the split, we work hard to be the last ones standing. Please continue to cheer for us until the end.