lemmata Profile Blog Joined October 2013 465 Posts #1



The article contains a sad story that is not that uncommon. It seems that Light is doing okay now though.



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Original:

+ Show Spoiler + 프로게이머 출신이 업계를 떠나 다른 직업으로 열심히 살고 있다는 소식을 들으면 왠지 반갑고 대견스럽다. '투명테란' 별명으로 유명했던 이재호가 얼마 전 군복무를 마치고 회사에 취업했다는 소식을 들었을 때도 마찬가지였다.



그의 새로운 일터는 네트워크-모바일-통신 분야 주식회사인 ‘원더피플’이라는 곳이다. 소셜 기반 어플리케이션 ‘포라(Fora)’의 게임 모바일 커뮤니티를 맡고 있는 이재호는 스타크래프트와 리그오브레전드, 오버워치 등 인기 게임의 다양한 콘텐츠를 다룬다.



직접 만나서 얘기를 듣고 싶은 마음에 인터뷰 약속을 잡았다. 은퇴 후 군복무까지 마친 뒤였으니 거의 3년 만에 하는 인터뷰였다. 장소는 원더피플 사무실이 있다는 서울 강남 코엑스 근처로 정했다. 서울 강남 코엑스는 초창기 e스포츠 경기장이 있던 장소다. 지금부터 딱 10년 전인 2006년, 이재호는 ‘슈퍼루키 토너먼트’에서 우승을 차지한 주목 받는 신예였다.



- 10년 전에 슈퍼루키 토너먼트에서 우승했던 걸 기억하나

▶ 물론이다. 게임단에 들어간 것은 2005년이지만 정식 데뷔는 2006년 3월이었고 은퇴는 2013년 9월에 했다. 슈퍼루키 토너먼트 우승은 거의 데뷔 무대였는데 처음으로 상금도 받고 맛있는 것도 사먹었던 기억이 난다.



- 직장 생활을 시작했다고 들었다. 얼마나 됐나

▶ 이제 막 시작했다. 두달 정도 됐다.



- 콩두컴퍼니 서경종 대표가 "재호라면 이런 일을 잘 할 것이다"면서 추천해 준 것으로 안다

▶ 보통 게이머들이 게임 말고 다른 것에 관심을 두는 것이 쉽지 않은데 난 다른 친구들에 비해 궁금증이 더 많았던 것 같다. 게임단 내에서는 아이폰이나 태블릿 등을 가장 빨리 사는 '얼리어답터'였다. 그런 기기를 사면 매뉴얼을 보지 않고 직접 이것 저것 해본다거나 가지고 노는 걸 좋아했다. 같은 팀이었던 경종이 형이 이런 모습을 기억해서 좋게 말해준 것 같다.



- 예전 동료들과 연락 하고 지내는지 궁금하다

▶ MBC게임, 웅진에서 같이 활동했던 몇몇과 종종 연락하고 있다. 원래 뜸한 편이었는데 요즘 들어서 연락을 더 하게 되는 것 같다.



- 잠시 인터넷 개인방송을 하기도 했다. 그러면서 어려운 개인사를 털어 놓았다고 하던데

▶ 프로게이머 생활을 하면서 또래 친구들에 비해 많은 돈을 벌었다. 연봉이랑 상금, 인센티브 등등을 다 합치면 약 4억 원 정도 된다. 그런데 입대 직전 그 돈이 다 사라졌을수도 있겠구나 하는 것을 알게 됐다.



- 그 큰 돈이 다 어디로 사라졌던 말인가

▶ 프로게이머로 살면서 단체 생활을 오래 하다 보니 입대 전 잠깐이라도 혼자 살아보고 싶은 생각이 들었다. 그래서 서울에 원룸 보증금을 달라고 했더니 어머니가 돈이 없다는 것이다. 동료에게 빌려주기도 했고 어딘가에 묶여 있다면서 둘러댔다. 어이가 없었지만 일단 당장 가진 돈으로 월세를 내면서 3달 동안 혼자 살았다.



- 그걸 그때까지 모르고 있던 것도 문제 아닐까

▶ 어머니가 보험설계사 일을 오래 하셨고 당신 명의로 회사를 세워 운영하는 등 경제 활동을 활발하게 하셨기 때문에 일반적인 저축이 아니라 어딘가에 투자를 했을 거라 믿었다. 그러고 보니 어렸을 때 뭣도 모르고 ‘도장 찍어라’ 하면 막 찍었던 것 같다. 그게 다 어머니가 내 명의로 보험을 들었던 거다. 내가 너무 어릴 때 돈을 벌기 시작했고, 가족이라 너무 믿었던 것이 화근이었다.



- 어머니를 믿지 않을 수 있었겠나, 지금은 어떤 상황인지 궁금하다

▶ 한때 보험왕 타이틀을 가졌던 어머니는 현재 신용불량자다. 나 뿐만 아니라 형까지, 우리 형제가 번 돈을 모두 날리셨다. 전역 후에 아프리카TV 방송을 하는데 집으로 빚 독촉 청구서가 계속 날라오더라. "내 돈 안줘도 되니까 빚이나 빨리 갚으라”고 했다. 하지만 결국 아무 것도 해결하지 못했고 아버지가 자동차를 팔아 내 앞으로 된 빚을 탕감해줬다. 지금은 가족들 모두 어머니와 따로 떨어져 살고 연락하지 않는다. 나는 서울에서 회사를 다니며 혼자 살고 있고 형은 친구와 부산에서 지낸다.



- 많지 않은 나이에 온갖 풍파를 겪은 셈인데 프로게이머 시절이 그래도 가장 행복했던 시기였겠다. 게이머로서의 전성기는 언제였다고 생각하는지

▶ 08~09시즌에 가장 잘했던 것 같다. 위너스리그에서 여러 번 올킬에 성공하면서 주목도 많이 받았다. 그 때가 열 아홉살 때였는데 머리 속에 게임 말고는 아무것도 들어있지 않을 때였다.



- 오래 하긴 했지만 은퇴를 앞두고 아쉬운 마음은 없었나

▶ 적당한 시기에 한 것 같다. 스타1으로 계속 갔으면 더 했겠지만 스타2로는 충분하다고 생각했다. 웅진 해체 이슈도 있었고. 프로게이머 생활을 하면서 계속 은퇴자들을 봤기 때문에 나도 언젠가 그만두겠지 생각했다. 그렇긴 해도 막상 은퇴하니 실감은 잘 안나더라.



- 철이 들었다고 해야 할까. 요즘 표현으로 멘탈이 참 좋은 것 같다

▶ 지금은 어차피 다 지나간 일이라고 생각한다. 일단 빚은 다 청산했으니까. 제로 상태에서 다시 시작이다. 나중에 잘되면 지금의 시련이 있어서 그럴 수 있었다고 말할 날이 오지 않을까.



- 개인방송을 다시 할 생각은 없나

▶ 전역하고 나서 뭘 해야 할지에 대한 고민이 많았고 정답을 찾기가 힘들었다. 아프리카TV에서 게임 방송을 했던 것은 그나마 내가 했던 것, 내가 가장 쉽게 할 수 있었던 거라서 잠시 선택했던 것이다. 방송으로 돈은 벌 수는 있지만 나랑은 잘 안 맞았다. 은퇴 직후에 방송보다 ‘이재호의 스타강좌’라고 블로그를 했던 것도 그런 이유다.



- 선수 생활을 오래 했는데 특별히 할 게 없는 상황이라면 주위를 원망할 법도 한데

▶ 그렇지는 않다. 야구나 축구도 부상으로 그만둔 선수들이 많다. 선수를 하다가 코칭스태프로 뛸 수 있는 경우는 정말 극소수인데 은퇴 후 선수의 진로가 e스포츠만의 문제는 아닌 것 같다. 그나마 다른 스포츠는 시장이 더 크니까 학원 스포츠처럼 강사 자리도 더 많고 선수 출신들이 더 유리한 것은 맞지만.



- 지금 다니고 있는 회사에 대해 좀 더 자세히 듣고 싶다

▶ 원더피플이라는 곳인데 나는 모바일사업부에서 FORA라는 어플리케이션 개발에 참여하고 있다. 글로벌에 초점을 맞춘 서비스라서 국내 서비스는 아직 한정적이고, 스타1을 기반으로 한 콘텐츠를 테스트 하다가 지금은 리그오브레전드와 오버워치까지 폭을 넓히고 있다. 관련 게임들에 대한 정보를 제공하고 커뮤니티를 만드는 것이 목표다.



- 출퇴근하는 일반 회사원으로서 삶은 지낼만 한지

▶ 포라는 글로벌 서비스이기 때문에 부서마다 일하는 시간대가 각기 다르다. 내 경우는 보통 9~10시까지 일하고 오후 2시 정도에 출근한다. 업무 시간에 대한 압박은 크게 없고 재미있다.



- 얼마 되지 않았지만 회사 생활을 해본 소감은

▶ 예전에는 막연히 평범한 직장 생활은 나랑 맞지 않을 거라 생각했다. 물론 지금은 다르다. 일도 일이지만 사람들과 만나서 업무 얘기하고 그런 게 좋다. 이 일을 안했으면 계속 BJ를 하고 있었을 것 같은데 아까 말했듯이 개인적으로는 지금 생활이 낫다. 뭔가 더 일다운 일을 하는 느낌? 지금이야 살짝 헤매고 있지만 여기서 일을 배우는 것이 장기적으로 큰 도움이 될 거라고 생각한다.



- 여전히 게임을 많이 하는지

▶ 스타크래프트를 많이 해서 그런지 LoL은 나랑 잘 안맞더라. 많은 유닛을 갖고 놀다가 챔피언 하나만 갖고 놀려고 하니까 지루하다(웃음). 오버워치는 플레이타임도 짧고 재미있어서 요즘 많이 하고 있다.



- 프로게이머 생활을 했던 것에 대한 후회는 없나

▶ 후회는 없다. 남들보다 특별한 경험을 한 것 같으니까. 그 경험이 인생을 살아가는데 큰 도움이 될 것 같다. 단순히 커리어를 얘기하는 것이 아니다. 보통 자기가 좋아하는 일을 하면서 살기가 쉽지 않은데 난 한 번 해봤으니까.



- 선수 인터뷰 때 항상 했던 질문이다. 더 하고 싶은 말이 있다면?

▶ 내가 지금 하는 일은 자신이 좋아하는 게임에 대해 공감하고 얘기를 나눌 수 있는 소통의 공간을 만들어 주는 것이다. 스타 강좌부터 시작해서 LoL 하이라이트 영상, 오버워치에 관한 유머, 프로게이머들 소식 등 언제든 게임과 관련된 이야기를 나눌 수 있다. 게임을 좋아하는 분들이라면 언제든 포라에 와주시길 바란다.









I am always delighted to hear that an ex-pro gamer has left the industry and found gainful employment elsewhere. It was certainly so when I heard that Lee Jaeho (Light), who was well-known by the nickname "Invisible Terran", had recently found employment after completing his military service.



His new workplace is "Wonder People" (wonderpeople.co.kr), a corporation involved with networks and mobile communications. Light is now responsible for the mobile community (specific to games) of the social application "Fora", where he deals with content related to popular games such as Starcraft, League of Legends, and Overwatch.



I scheduled an offline interview because I wanted to hear from the man himself in person. It had been nearly 3 years since our last interview, which took place after his retirement but before his military service. We chose a place where one of the earliest eSports arenas was located because it was close to the offices of Wonder People. 10 years ago, in 2006, Light was a promising newcomer who had won the "Super Rookie Tournament".



- Do you remember winning the Super Rookie Tournament 10 years ago?

▶ Of course. I became a pro in 2005, but my official debut was in March 2006 and my retirement was in September 2013. The Super Rookie Tournament victory was essentially my debut stage. It was the first time I had won prize money and I remember buying something delicious to eat.



- I heard that you started work recently. How long has it been?

▶ I just started. It's been about 2 months.



- Kongdoo CEO Shark recommended you and said that "Light would be good at this sort of thing."

▶ Most gamers have few interests outside of gaming, but I had a bit more curiosity than my friends. I was a so-called "early adapter" in my teams who was usually the first to purchase tablets and iPhones. After purchasing such devices, I really enjoyed exploring their capabilities without a manual. I think that Shark remembered this from our time together.



- Do you still keep in touch with your old teammates?

▶ I still keep in touch with some people from MBC and Woongjin. It used to be less frequent, but I think I do it more often these days.



- You briefly dabbled with live streaming. I heard that you revealed some painful personal history.

▶ I earned more money than most of my peers during my gaming career. Salary, prize money, and incentives all add up to about 400,000,000 KRW. Then I realized right before I entered the army that all of that money could be gone.



- Where could all of that money have gone?

▶ Because I experienced long periods of group living as a pro gamer, I wanted to live alone for even a little bit before I started my service. I asked my mother for money to pay the deposit for a studio apartment in Seoul. She told me that there was no money because she had lent some of it to other people and some of it was tied up in investments. I was at a loss for words, but I used the money I had on hand to pay the rent for 3 months.



- Don't you think that it was partially your fault for not having any idea about this until it was too late?

▶ My mother was an insurance agent/salesperson for a long time. She ran a business under her name and was very active economically. I figured that she would have made some investments with my money instead of stashing it in a bank. Now that I look back on it, I would sign a lot of things for her without knowing what it was for. It turns out that she had signed me up for insurance. I started making money when I was too young and trusted my family too much.



- It would have been difficult not to trust your own mother. What is your current situation?

▶ She was once known as "The Insurance King", but her credit rating is now in the pits. She didn't just blow my earnings. She also blew through my older brother's earnings as well. When I started streaming on AfreecaTV after completing my service, creditors would keep sending notices to my home. I told her, "You don't need to pay me back, but please pay back the loans (you took our under my name)." In the end, my dad sold his car to pay back the loans under my name. Our family has no contact with my mother now. I work in Seoul and live alone. My elder brother lives with a friend in Busan.



- You experienced a lot in your few years on earth. I imagine that you look back most fondly on your years as a pro gamer. When do you think was your peak?

▶ I think I was at my best during the 08-09 season. I achieved several all-kills in the Winner's League and received a lot of attention. I was 19 back then and Starcraft was the only thing on my mind back then.



- Although you had a long career, did you have any reservations/regrets about retiring?

▶ I think that I retired at the right time. If I could play Starcraft 1, I think that I would have kept playing, but I thought that I had enough of Starcraft 2. I thought that I would eventually retire because Woongjin was disbanding and I had seen many other gamers retire before. That said, once I did decide to retire, it did not seem real.



- You seem to have matured quite a bit.

▶ It's all bygones now. I am at least debt-free now. It's a new beginning with a clean slate. If I become successful in the future, I think that I can point to my struggles today as the source of that success.



- Do you think you might ever stream again?

▶ I thought long and hard about what to do after completing my service. I briefly streamed Starcraft on AfreecaTV because Starcraft was something that I had done before and the path of least resistance. You can earn a lot of money by streaming, but it just wasn't right for me. The reason that I started a blog on Starcraft instead of streaming immediately after retirement is similar.



- A person who played the game for a long time but cannot find a job after retiring might want to blame other people for his plight.

▶ It's not so for me. There are many baseball and soccer players who had to quit due to injury as well. Only a select few can join the coaching staff. Finding a job after retiring is not a problem unique to pro gamers. Of course, there are more opportunities for people in other sports since they are more popular.



- Can you tell me a bit about your current employer.

▶ It's called Wonder People. I am participating in the development of an application caled FORA in their mobile business division. It's got limited service in Korea because it is aimed at the global market. We started testing Starcraft-based content but we are now expanding our reach to League of Legends and Overwatch as well. Our goal is to build a community around those games and provide information.



- How is the 9-to-5 life treating you?

▶ FORA is a global service so each division keeps different hours. In my case, I usually work from 2pm to 9-10pm. There is no real time pressure and the work is fun.



- What do you think about working in an office?

▶ I used to think that a regular office job would not agree with me. Not now. I like the work, but I also like meeting people to discuss work. If I did not have this job, I would be streaming, but I very much prefer my current life. I feel like I have a real job. I am still a bit lost at work, but I think that this experience will help me a great deal in the long run.



- Do you still play games a lot?

▶ League of Legends is not my thing, perhaps because I played Starcraft for too long. It is a bit boring to play with one champion when you are used to controlling many units at once (*laughs*). I play a lot of Overwatch these days because the games are quick and fun.



- Do you have any regrets about your career?

▶ None. I think that not many people get to experience what I did. That's valuable life experience. I am not talking only about the uniqueness of the pro gaming career. Not many people get to make money while doing something they love to do. I got to do that.



- A question that I always used to ask when you were a player: Any other words to add?

▶ My work now involves creating a space where people can discuss their favorite games, share information, and experience emotions together. We have Starcraft lectures, League of Legends highlights, Overwatch humor, pro gamer news, and other game-related contents. If you like games, please check out FORA.







Article by 강영훈 기자 kangzuck@fomos.co.kr

Translation by me.

Source: http://www.fomos.kr/esports/news_view?entry_id=30044 The article contains a sad story that is not that uncommon. It seems that Light is doing okay now though.--start article--Original:I am always delighted to hear that an ex-pro gamer has left the industry and found gainful employment elsewhere. It was certainly so when I heard that Lee Jaeho (Light), who was well-known by the nickname "Invisible Terran", had recently found employment after completing his military service.His new workplace is "Wonder People" (wonderpeople.co.kr), a corporation involved with networks and mobile communications. Light is now responsible for the mobile community (specific to games) of the social application "Fora", where he deals with content related to popular games such as Starcraft, League of Legends, and Overwatch.I scheduled an offline interview because I wanted to hear from the man himself in person. It had been nearly 3 years since our last interview, which took place after his retirement but before his military service. We chose a place where one of the earliest eSports arenas was located because it was close to the offices of Wonder People. 10 years ago, in 2006, Light was a promising newcomer who had won the "Super Rookie Tournament".- Do you remember winning the Super Rookie Tournament 10 years ago?▶ Of course. I became a pro in 2005, but my official debut was in March 2006 and my retirement was in September 2013. The Super Rookie Tournament victory was essentially my debut stage. It was the first time I had won prize money and I remember buying something delicious to eat.- I heard that you started work recently. How long has it been?▶ I just started. It's been about 2 months.- Kongdoo CEO Shark recommended you and said that "Light would be good at this sort of thing."▶ Most gamers have few interests outside of gaming, but I had a bit more curiosity than my friends. I was a so-called "early adapter" in my teams who was usually the first to purchase tablets and iPhones. After purchasing such devices, I really enjoyed exploring their capabilities without a manual. I think that Shark remembered this from our time together.- Do you still keep in touch with your old teammates?▶ I still keep in touch with some people from MBC and Woongjin. It used to be less frequent, but I think I do it more often these days.- You briefly dabbled with live streaming. I heard that you revealed some painful personal history.▶ I earned more money than most of my peers during my gaming career. Salary, prize money, and incentives all add up to about 400,000,000 KRW. Then I realized right before I entered the army that all of that money could be gone.- Where could all of that money have gone?▶ Because I experienced long periods of group living as a pro gamer, I wanted to live alone for even a little bit before I started my service. I asked my mother for money to pay the deposit for a studio apartment in Seoul. She told me that there was no money because she had lent some of it to other people and some of it was tied up in investments. I was at a loss for words, but I used the money I had on hand to pay the rent for 3 months.- Don't you think that it was partially your fault for not having any idea about this until it was too late?▶ My mother was an insurance agent/salesperson for a long time. She ran a business under her name and was very active economically. I figured that she would have made some investments with my money instead of stashing it in a bank. Now that I look back on it, I would sign a lot of things for her without knowing what it was for. It turns out that she had signed me up for insurance. I started making money when I was too young and trusted my family too much.- It would have been difficult not to trust your own mother. What is your current situation?▶ She was once known as "The Insurance King", but her credit rating is now in the pits. She didn't just blow my earnings. She also blew through my older brother's earnings as well. When I started streaming on AfreecaTV after completing my service, creditors would keep sending notices to my home. I told her, "You don't need to pay me back, but please pay back the loans (you took our under my name)." In the end, my dad sold his car to pay back the loans under my name. Our family has no contact with my mother now. I work in Seoul and live alone. My elder brother lives with a friend in Busan.- You experienced a lot in your few years on earth. I imagine that you look back most fondly on your years as a pro gamer. When do you think was your peak?▶ I think I was at my best during the 08-09 season. I achieved several all-kills in the Winner's League and received a lot of attention. I was 19 back then and Starcraft was the only thing on my mind back then.- Although you had a long career, did you have any reservations/regrets about retiring?▶ I think that I retired at the right time. If I could play Starcraft 1, I think that I would have kept playing, but I thought that I had enough of Starcraft 2. I thought that I would eventually retire because Woongjin was disbanding and I had seen many other gamers retire before. That said, once I did decide to retire, it did not seem real.- You seem to have matured quite a bit.▶ It's all bygones now. I am at least debt-free now. It's a new beginning with a clean slate. If I become successful in the future, I think that I can point to my struggles today as the source of that success.- Do you think you might ever stream again?▶ I thought long and hard about what to do after completing my service. I briefly streamed Starcraft on AfreecaTV because Starcraft was something that I had done before and the path of least resistance. You can earn a lot of money by streaming, but it just wasn't right for me. The reason that I started a blog on Starcraft instead of streaming immediately after retirement is similar.- A person who played the game for a long time but cannot find a job after retiring might want to blame other people for his plight.▶ It's not so for me. There are many baseball and soccer players who had to quit due to injury as well. Only a select few can join the coaching staff. Finding a job after retiring is not a problem unique to pro gamers. Of course, there are more opportunities for people in other sports since they are more popular.- Can you tell me a bit about your current employer.▶ It's called Wonder People. I am participating in the development of an application caled FORA in their mobile business division. It's got limited service in Korea because it is aimed at the global market. We started testing Starcraft-based content but we are now expanding our reach to League of Legends and Overwatch as well. Our goal is to build a community around those games and provide information.- How is the 9-to-5 life treating you?▶ FORA is a global service so each division keeps different hours. In my case, I usually work from 2pm to 9-10pm. There is no real time pressure and the work is fun.- What do you think about working in an office?▶ I used to think that a regular office job would not agree with me. Not now. I like the work, but I also like meeting people to discuss work. If I did not have this job, I would be streaming, but I very much prefer my current life. I feel like I have a real job. I am still a bit lost at work, but I think that this experience will help me a great deal in the long run.- Do you still play games a lot?▶ League of Legends is not my thing, perhaps because I played Starcraft for too long. It is a bit boring to play with one champion when you are used to controlling many units at once (*laughs*). I play a lot of Overwatch these days because the games are quick and fun.- Do you have any regrets about your career?▶ None. I think that not many people get to experience what I did. That's valuable life experience. I am not talking only about the uniqueness of the pro gaming career. Not many people get to make money while doing something they love to do. I got to do that.- A question that I always used to ask when you were a player: Any other words to add?▶ My work now involves creating a space where people can discuss their favorite games, share information, and experience emotions together. We have Starcraft lectures, League of Legends highlights, Overwatch humor, pro gamer news, and other game-related contents. If you like games, please check out FORA.Article by 강영훈 기자 kangzuck@fomos.co.krTranslation by me.