On the 16th of January, SK Telecom T1 and Jin Air Greenwings opened the gates of LoL Park by playing the opening match of the LCK 2019 Spring Split. After SKT’s 2-0 victory over JAG, we asked Lee “Faker” Sang-hyuk how he feels about opening the Spring Split, his impressions of the new LoL Park and his thoughts on his new teammates and friends.

You’ve just won the opening match of the 2019 LCK Spring Split. How does that feel?

Faker: It’s the first time for me playing an opening match of a split. I was a little nervous, but now that it’s over, I think I’ve gained the confidence to do well in the upcoming matches.



It’s the first time you’re playing in LoL Park. What do you think about the change? How did it feel to play in the open booth setting of LoL Park, compared to the previous venues?

Faker: I played on open booth a few times before, and for me personally, there isn’t that much difference between playing in open and closed booth. As for LoL Park itself, the facilities are very good. The stadium itself is a circular shape and I think the design looks really cool.

The only issue I have is that the tables are circular, not rectangular, so it was different to set up on the [LoL Park] match tables.

It’s been three weeks since KeSPA Cup. How has SKT changed since then?



Faker: The team had teamwork issues, so we practiced around this. The players in our team have very strong opinions and make a lot of shotcalls. We’ve been practicing and getting feedback around this area.

Your next match is against Afreeca Freecs. What are your thoughts about your next match?



We already have a direction in which we want to improve ourselves. Against Afreeca, we’ll have to practice as we have been: play practice games as if we’re playing actual games so we can become better prepared for playing matches.

The last year was a depressing period for the LCK as a region. Do you have any resolutions around this? Or perhaps you would like to make an announcement to other regions?

Faker: SKT did not perform well last year. Before thinking about going against other regions as the LCK representative, I’ll first focus on improving the team’s performance domestically. If we start winning Spring Split and other tournaments, then we might start focusing on competitiveness with other regions.

KeSPA Cup aside, this is your first time playing in LCK with the new roster. What are some of the differences between last year’s roster and now?

Faker: SKT has changed a lot. The team environment has been the biggest change. Many of the teammates who’ve joined the team this year are rowdy and funny. Perhaps less during the matches, but the team atmosphere has brightened up.