On the 7th of April (KST), SKT T1 defeated Kingzone DragonX (KZ) 3:0 in the 2019 LCK Spring Playoffs Semifinals. 

The 2nd place team, SKT versus the best team in the 2nd round of this LCK Spring, KZ was anticipated to be one of the most competitive matches in the history of the LCK Playoffs. There were some interesting spectacles to watch starting from the traditional mid lane rivalry of Faker and PawN. Deft had to face his former KT teammate Mata in the bottom lane. Also, KZ was the only team ever to defeat Faker in the LCK Finals. Despite all the expectations, SKT managed to sweep KZ 3:0. Although they were behind in both games 1 and 2, the SKT players managed to turn the tables by displaying exceptional performance in mid to late game teamfights. After gaining some positive momentum, SKT dominated game 3 and secured quite a one-sided victory. 

After the match, we sat with SKT's star mid laner, Faker for a post-match interview. 

What are your thoughts of making it to the Finals? 

I was quite frustrated last year since we underperformed and failed to make it to the Finals. I'm thrilled on the fact that I got a great chance [of performing in the Finals] starting from this Spring. I'll prepare a lot during the reaming time and try my best to win the title. 

What would be some things that SKT did better than KZ today?

First off, we prepared a "Kingzone focused" pick & ban strategy before the Semis. Also, my teammates did such a great job today.

A lot of people expected a highly competitive matchup today. Yes, some of the games were fierce, but the result was a 3:0. What were your expectations going into this series?

This was our first bo5 after our rebuild. Since we are still quite new with each other, I didn't expect this series to end 3:0. I still did believe that as long as we stick to what we've been preparing, a sweep wouldn't be impossible. Although KZ was on a good momentum, we also had some positive results during practice so I was optimistic. 

Aside from the matchup itself, numerous fans waited to see the PawN vs Faker mid lane rivalry as well. What were you thoughts about this?

PawN is a veteran player... I also did put on some emphasis on the matchup myself.  However, in general, I thought more about our team plays than going against PawN. 

Now you'll face Chovy, who is called the 'post-Faker'. 

Although we lost [against Griffin] in round 2, our in-game performance wasn't that bad. I'll focus on delivering the performance against the in round 2 during the finals. 

SKT was a totally different team when facing Griffin in round 2 compared to their performance in round 1; you guys could have secured a win. What are your expectations for the Finals?

Since it's a bo5, as long as we prepare well, we can get the title. I never thought that we were behind performance-wise, so we'll have to prepare some solid strategies and make use of our advantage in bo5s. 

You used different champions for each game today. Are you preparing more for the Finals? 

I'm pretty open-mided on which champion I'd play. So, I'll be ready to use any kind of champion based on the situation. 

Some say that Sylas is a "trap-card" in the LCK. However, SKT used Sylas both in mid and top lane tonight. What are your thoughts on him?

He's a versatile pick since we can use him in both top and mid lane. I still think we have more to study on Sylas in general so he has more potential to become a better pick. Today, I was confident in using him. 

What would be the final score for the Finals? 

It's going to be competitive. I think it's probably going to be a 3:1 or 3:2. Well, my goal is to end it 3:0. 

Didn't you miss the MSIs?

Although winning the LCK is really important, I was a bit bored since I failed to make it to international tournaments for quite a long time. That's why I'm waiting for it a lot. 

Bang, Huni, Untara, and even PoohManDu visited the stadium. Did they say anything about the Semis? 

They didn't really say a lot on winning. We simply said "Hi". They seemed to look better than before. 

Now, your team would be its last time to be called "SKT T1". What are your thoughts on changing the team's name to T1? 

SKT T1 and T1 are basically the same so I don't have any opinions on that. 

Some say that SKT is much better... "SKT! SKT! SKT!" (laughs)

Oh... Yeah, that I do agree. 

Do you have any last words for the fans?

It's been a while since SKT made it to the Finals. Like I've always been saying... I'm going to prepare my utmost and perform well. Thank you!