As numerous Korean LoL players are seeking to perform in other countries, more and more players are now peaking in foreign leagues. A good example would be Kim “Trick” Gang-yun, who was recognized as one of the best European junglers when he performed for G2. Another would be Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon, who first gained his global popularity when he played for Fnatic.

Now, the LMS champion, Kim “Moojin” Moo-jin is up next. He made his first LMS debut this Spring, where he proved himself worthy of the champion title; ‘Moojin’ was also named as the “Rookie of the Split”. Currently, he is getting ready to show off his talents in front of the international fans by performing in the MSI.

The Inven Esports Team had the chance to meet ‘Moojin’ during his short 3-day visit to Korea. He had to go back in a hurry to practice for the MSI, but this rookie looked rather excited. Let’s hear what he had to say about his LMS experience as well as his expectations for the MSI.

Q. Can you introduce yourself to our readers?

Hello, this is Kim “Moojin” Moo-jin. I’m currently playing as the jungler for the Taiwan team Flash Wolves.

Q. Before we begin, I would like to say congratulations! The Flash Wolves were recognized as one of the top teams in the LMS. After seeing how dominant your team has been, did you think you would win the title?

Thank you. I thought that it would take some time to adjust because of the language barrier. When I first went to the team, there were some communication issues so it was hard to learn new things. I had to cut down on my practice time in order to learn Chinese. That’s why I thought it’d take some time to perform well. Fortunately, things went well and I was very happy.

Q. Speaking of language, how’s your Chinese now?

I use Chinese when I play games. I can hear some words and understand, but it’s still hard to use it in a practical conversation; I'm not confident yet.(laughter)

Q. Taiwan's best jungler, ‘Karsa’ left the team and you were the one to fill in for him. Did you feel pressured by this?

Of course, there was pressure. I thought about it every match and I’m still concerned about it. Although things went well this Spring, only one season has passed. It’s still a burden.

Q. 'Karsa’ was an aggressive jungler who showed some remarkable individual performance. I’m quite aware that you also have a similar style. What are your thoughts about this?

‘Karsa’ has great individual skill, but actually he’s a remarkable team player. On the other hand, I have good reflexes, but I’m still lacking as a team player. That’s why I try to watch ‘Karsa’s replays. My teammates are helping out as well. They recommend clips that help my performance. It really helps.

Q. It seems like your teammates are helping out. In Flash Wolves, there are some experienced players such as ‘Maple’ and ‘SwordArt’. Does their presence help?

Yes it does. Frankly speaking, I was nervous in every single match this Spring. My teammates helped me out a lot. They sometimes made jokes such as “We’re going to make you win, so all you need to do is breathe.”.

Q. Before you played for the Flash Wolves, you were in the Korean second-division team Dark Wolves and the European second-division team Red Bulls. Are there any differences between the three regions?

First of all, Taiwan and Korea are almost the same. Asian regions are mostly similar. The priority is to show good performance. That’s why players are always practicing. I think that we practice more than we sleep. However, EU and NA has more focus on the players. They recieve more free time, which means less team practice compared to Asian regions.

Q. Are there any differences in regards to play style?

Every region has its own unique style. EU tends to play safe; the players’ priority is to not die. LCK players are more aggressive. Teams use highly aggressive tactics as well. I’m not that sure about the LMS yet. LCK matches are competitive, but it’s not always like that in the LMS. Sometimes things are intense while some other games are very loose. The league itself might seem like it lacks uniqueness. Flash Wolves has our own unique style and I believe that this led us to the title.

Q. What kind of style do you prefer?

I like the Korean style; whether I die or not, I prefer to make an aggressive move. (Q. Isn’t it rather easy to show off your style in your current team?) If I become better with my Chinese, I think I’ll be able to show some of my plays more easily. However, my Chinese isn’t perfect, so I tend to go with the flow.

Q. The team won the Spring split and now you’re heading to the MSI. You do have some overseas experience, but you’ve never been to an international tournament.

I’m looking forward to it, but the huge crowd makes me nervous at the same time. I tend to be more nervous when i’m in front of a lot of people. At the LMS finals, I was surprised by the fact that the crowd’s roar came through my headphones. I’ll have to get used to that.

I hope the team will perform better compared to the last MSI. Of course, to do our best and leave no regrets is the top priority.

Q. Any teams you want to compete against in this MSI?

King Zone DragonX and Fnatic. As a matter of fact, I’d be happy to compete with any other teams as well. I wasn’t able to compete with foreign teams since this MSI is my first international tournament.

Q. Which team do you think is the best in this MSI?

King Zone DragonX is for sure one of the clear-cut favorites. People say that LPL teams have become stronger, but I still think that the LCK teams are better.

Q. Flash Wolves are now recognized as a regular contender in Worlds. There must have been some positive expectations since the team performed well this Spring.

We’re still getting there. Worlds is a huge stage, so I’m not trying to count our chickens just yet. I thought about it when we won the Spring split, but it was just to an extent of “We’ll be able to make it if we prepare well for the Summer split.” Nothing more.

Q. In order to qualify for Worlds, you’ll have to show some good performance in the Summer split. Are there any goals? The team only lost once this split, so becoming an undefeated champion might be one.

Yeah, being undefeated is my top goal. Personally, I’d like to use different picks also. I want to try out more aggressive champions.

There are some Korean players performing in the LMS. When it’s Summer, their Chinese will be better, which will naturally lead to improvements in team chemistry. I believe that the competition will become more intense compared to Spring.

Q. Which team would be a strong competitor?

G-Rex. Lee “Stitch” Seung-ju and Kim “Candy” Seung-ju perform in this team. Our only defeat was from G-Rex. It struck us quite hard. This actually affected us in the finals when we went against them. In the interview, I said we’re going to win 3:0, but I was still nervous. Fortunately, it came true, which was a relief.

Q. Your brother is ‘Necklet’, who is currently in the Inven broadcasting center. What are the pros and cons of being in the same field with one of your family members?

He’s in the same field, so I can ask a lot of related questions. Also, my brother can tell my parents things such as my league schedules. This way they’re not that concerned about  me when it’s hard to keep in touch.

About the disadvantages… Some people think that I became a pro gamer because I received personal help from my brother. As a matter of fact, I tried to not talk to him a lot after hearing those negative rumors. It annoys me.

Q. I hope this interview will help deal with those negative rumors. Now the interview is almost at its end. Last question. What do you want to achieve this year?

I hope the team will perform better compared to last year. The team was in a bad mood because we were eliminated quite early in international tournaments. That’s why I’m desperate about performance. I want to improve my communication skills and adjust to the team. I hope to be together as a team next year as well. I want to be part of this group for a long time.

LoL fans tend to mainly focus on 4 regions: South Korea, China, Europe and North America. Taiwan is considered somewhat last. I want to change this, which means we have to perform even better. The LMS league itself has to improve. I want to change the thought that the LMS lacks competitiveness compared to other regions.